As Long As She's Happy (Revised)
by Dakari-King Mykan
Summary: Davis is hopelessly in love with Kari, but she's deeply with TK, and he doesn't know what to do or how to feel about it, but when he gets involved in a car accident and breaks his leg, things start to get a little tense between Kari and Davis.
1. Dancing with her

_**Author's Note:**_

_**I will not move on from things said, angry feelings (Tried and failed, it doesn't work) to me, revenge is the only way to kick it.**_

**CHAPTER ONE**

Eighteen year-old Davis Motomiya,

He and his friends sure grew up a lot, and were now recent High-School graduates, and thinking of going to college.

As for Davis, despite being the well-known, legendary Digi-Destined, who made his shining moment in the war against Malyo-Myotismon all those years ago, he was also now an aspiring professional soccer star, with enormous potential to make it really big on a pro team someday.

But tonight however, he stood leaning on the wall of the school hall on the night of graduation dance, looking out onto the dance floor, watching Kari- the girl whom he had loved since he first met her in junior high- was dancing romantically with TK.

The two were officially a couple now, and had been for a few months.

Then again, it had been expected and anticipated by everyone for a long time beforehand.

The two had known each other far longer than Davis had, and when they had announced that they were going out together, no one had been surprised, least of all Davis. He had known this day would come.

TK put his arms around Kari's lower back, and she rested her head on his shoulder, a smile creeping across her face as she closed her eyes and relaxed into his embrace.

The burn of jealousy that leapt through the turmoil of his emotions; it was almost too unbearable to control, but he did well to hold steady, not wanting to cause a scene and ruin the special dance.

"They make a cute couple don't they?" said Tai.

Davis put his face into neutral.

"Yeah, they do."

"Don't do anything stupid, Davis. Kari values you as a friend, and I'd hate to see you jeopardise that friendship."

The younger man thought deeply to himself, _"It's true, Kari sees me as just a friend, but I really don't want it to be that way. I can't settle for just being friends with her. _

_I know what I want, and I know I can't have it either."_

He looked up at Tai and gave him his honest answer in a neutral voice. "Tai, you know how I feel about this, but I'm not going to do anything about it. She obviously loves him, and there's nothing I can do to change that."

Tai was glad he was being honest, and proud he was at least trying to show back-bone and be strong, but he knew him better than that, and he could tell what he was secretly thinking.

"You know Davis, I don't think I should be saying, but like that old saying goes: "There's plenty of fish in the sea."

I had to face that when Sora chose Matt over me, and I knew I couldn't let it get to me all my life, so I kept fishing, and now I am happy.

I'm sure if you keep fishing for it, you can someone too."

Unfortunately, when he had turned to face Davis again, he found that he had gone, and most likely didn't hear a word he said, or maybe he had and he just didn't feel the same.

Tai then looked back at the dancing couple, and saw TK lower his lips onto Kari's, which he thought was super sweet.

Everyone in the place felt the same way, and some were moved to tears.

Davis could see them from the doorway, and he was almost moved to tears himself!

Kari and TK separated and smiled at each other, but from the angle where she stood, Kari could see Davis, through the doorway, walking down the hall.

"Are you alright?" TK asked her.

Kari snapped herself back to her sense and looked up at her boyfriend, "I'm okay. Thanks for asking."

He smiled at her, and kissed her again, wooing the crowds.

Davis stood in one of the empty classrooms, looking out over the city by the open window, taking in the fresh air he desperately felt he needed.

The stars were shining beautiful in the night sky, and seemed to carry on forever.

"Nice night."

Yolei came up and stood beside him.

People seemed to be doing a lot of that lately- his feelings _that_ obvious?

"Yeah, I guess." he answered, trying to hide his feelings.

Yolei could see through him as if her glasses had X-Ray vision.

"Kari asked me to ask why you left the dance, and if you're going to come back."

Davis bit his lower lip trying to think of an excuse, but at that moment Ken came up to classroom door- stumbling with a red face and soggy eyes.

"Yo-hic-lei." he groaned.

"Are you drunk?" Yolei asked. Ken Straightened up and seemed to be thinking for a second. He answered slowly.

"Not…that much…"

Davis and Yolei looked at each other and sighed.

"I think we'll be coming home with you." She took Ken's shoulder and started to walk him out of the room, but turned back briefly.

"Don't do anything stupid Davis."

Davis gave her a small smile, "I won't. As long as she's happy, Yolei, I'll crawl back under the rock I came out of."

Yolei felt that was already a little too dark, and had more proof than ever Davis was probably not going to be okay, but for now, getting her intoxicated boyfriend home was more important.

They passed by the dance on their way out of the school, and Davis could see through the door, Kari and TK were still dancing.

The slow melody was enhanced in Davis mind by the beating of his own heart.

He watched them, for a while- they dancing there.

He caught himself staring, and turned away. Walking out of the room, he jogged to catch up with Ken and Yolei, and quickly wiped a stream of tears that escaped from his eyes, not wanting his friends to see.

Yolei was waiting for him.

"Davis, can you give us a ride, because there is no way I am letting Ken get behind the wheel."

"Yolei, I am perfectly cap-ab-ab-able of driving." said Ken to the pot plant that stood next to his girlfriend. Yolei put her hand to her forehead. Davis grinned.

"Sure, my jeep's just over here."

They got into the Jeep, and Yolei helped Ken into the back seat. The young man slumped down onto his side, and started to snore.

"Hey, watch it!" called a voice from under Ken's head, and Veemon popped out and looked up at Davis.

"What's up with him?" Veemon asked. Ken belched loudly onto the back of the Digimon's head. Veemon's nose twitched

"Never mind."

"Where are Hawkmon and Wormmon?" asked Davis as he drove down the road.

"We left them at home. We didn't really think it would be their scene, even if the whole world knows about the digital world now. Why did you bring Veemon?"

Davis shot his best friend a grin.

"Because last time I left him alone in the apartment he cleared out the fridge. I had to live on Bologna sandwiches for three days, until my paycheck came through."

"How is work? I heard you were working in a strip club!"

Davis laughed; he seemed to be cheering up the farther away they got from Kari and TK.

"It's not a strip-club, it's an Irish pub, but there are occasional bachelor parties there. I'm the barman. I could never have bought this sweet ride if I didn't work there."

Suddenly, there was a huge slam as the jeep drove straight over a deep, jagged pothole in the road, that was for Davis to see- either due to it being dark at night, or some other reason!

Jeep suddenly slid across the road. Its back tyre caught on a speed trap, and the vehicle flipped onto its side, and went sliding towards a wall.

The vehicle hit head on, and Davis was thrown forward, his seat-belt tearing from its socket in the frame. The last thing he heard was Yolei's scream as he went through the windshield. Thank god her seatbelt had held.

Davis slammed into the wall, and blacked out.


	2. Shattered Hopes and Dreams

**CHAPTER TWO**

Davis felt like he was swimming in an ocean of darkness. He swam along, his senses blurred by the water. He could sense some kind of wall ahead of him, and he knew that something important was behind it, but he didn't know what. He tried to force his body to stop, but he kept going.

Any second now he was going to crash into the wall!

"Davis?"

_"I know that voice."_

"Can you hear me Davis?"

_"Kari. What is she doing here?"_

"Come back to us Davis."

_"TK too? How are they here? All I remember is-"_

That's when it all flashed before his eyes- The windscreen shattering in front of him, Yolei's scream, praying that her seat-belt held, the wall rushing up, Twisting to avoid it hitting his head, Yolei's screaming getting louder, Ken shouting now too, Veemon jumping over the seats to get to him, hitting the wall, Yolei, screaming, Yolei, Yolei.

"Yolei!" Davis snapped as he bolted upright.

Kari leapt back in shock.

"Davis, you're awake!"

Davis ignored her comment.

"Where's Yolei? Is she okay? What about Ken? And Veemon? Are they all."

TK held up his hand.

"Calm down Davis, you took a heavy hit. Relax a bit 'kay?"

Davis ignored him and tried to get up. Pain shot through both his legs.

"Ah, Man!" He settled down again, and the nurse from the hall dashed into the room.

"Are you okay Davis?" she asked looked down at him with concern.

The young man settled back into the bed and asked "Are my friends okay?"

The nurse nodded.

"A few cuts and bruises, but nothing more serious than that. They were very lucky, and so were you. After a crash like that- you might not even be here now."

Davis gulped hard, and Kari and TK shuddered nervously at such a thought.

"Davish!" cried Veemon as he came leaping into the room and up onto the chair by his side.

"Veemon!" Davis cried with Delight "Thank goodness, you're okay too."

Veemon reached over and hugged Davis softly, and he hugged him back, which melted Kari's heart to see them like that.

The nurse looked at Kari and TK, "Five minutes. No more. The doctor will be here in a little while."

The couple nodded, and then sat on the Windowsill by his bed. TK put a possessive arm around Kari's waist.

Davis felt sick at the sight of it.

"Are you going to be okay?" Kari asked.

The man in the bed grinned and nodded, "But somehow I don't think I'll be playing any soccer for a while.

How long have you guys been here? What time is it?"

"It's about Three in the afternoon." said TK "We were only here for a few minutes before you woke up. You've been in here overnight."

"We were really worried." said Kari Yolei called us after the crash and when the ambulance got you guys. We rushed here as soon we could."

The door opened and the doctor came in.

Jun Motomiya looked at the couple, "I thought the nurse gave you a five minute warning. You're going to have to scram."

Kari and TK got up to go. As they went through the door, Kari turned.

"I'm glad you're okay, Davis."

Then she was gone.

Davis noticed his sister giving him a strange look.

"How are you holding up?"

Davis motioned by the casts on his legs, "I'll get used to them."

Jun looked down grimly at him, "I meant," and she motioned out the door, obviously at Kari, which really made her brother sigh. This was getting seriously annoying with him!

"I don't want to talk about it, Jun. Besides, you'll just blab it to everyone."

"No, I won't." said Jun "Doctor-Patient confidentiality. Besides, I won't let anyone hurt you-that's my job."

Davis chuckled, "I honestly never thought you'd ever come to this, Jun."

Jun rolled her eyes, remembering how ditzy she used to be.

"I'm actually proud of you." her brother said.

His sister gazed down at him strangely, "A compliment from my brother?" she asked pretending to be shocked. "Hmm, I wonder," and she listened to his chest with her stethoscope. "Well, what do you know? You _do_ have a heart."

_"…A very sad heart."_ Davis thought quietly, and then he looked at his casts, _"At least my legs will heal easier than this."_

As Jun was still listening to his heart, and could hear it starting to slow down a little, and the hint of sadness in her brother's eyes told her enough.

_"He's just not getting over her."_ she thought.

"HEY!" Davis called down into the bell part on his chest, making his sister jump and hold her hands to her ears.

"How long were you planning on listening in there? That thing is cold."

Jun picked at her ears, and did her best to not tackle him. "Let's look at your legs."

* * *

Meanwhile, Kari sat with her arms folded in tightly around herself in the passenger seat of TK's car.

Kari didn't like seeing her friends get hurt, but she was really glad they were okay, especially Davis, though he had it the worst, and knew he'd be incredibly bored without soccer in his life for a while.

_"Come to think of it,"_ she thought to herself, _"Davis and I have hardly spoken or hung out since I started dating TK._

_It's like he's avoiding me."_

That's when it finally hit her, _"Oh, no… don't tell me he still has a thing for me."_

"Kari, what are you brooding for?" TK asked from beside her.

"I'm not brooding"

"Yes you are. Your mouth gets that little pucker when you're brooding."

"My mouth was not puckered." she paused "Okay, maybe I was brooding."

"Davis?"

She nodded.

"I don't like seeing anyone hurt, least of all my friends."

TK nodded sombrely.

"It was one nasty shock wasn't it? I never thought anything would keep Davis still that long."

"That's not funny TK."

He sighed.

"I know. But I couldn't think of anything else to say. Sorry."

They pulled up outside her apartment building. Kari climbed out of the car.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" TK asked.

Kari lent into the car and kissed him.

"What do you think?"

He laughed, and pulled away from the kerb.

Kari made her way up to her apartment. She turned her key in the lock and walked in. The empty apartment seemed like the perfect place to be right now, quiet and secluded. Just her and.

"Kari?"

Gatomon padded out of Kari's bedroom, where she had obviously been sleeping. Her tail ring shone in the dull grey light that came through the window.

Kari didn't reply, and she didn't have to.

The young woman went and sat in a chair facing the balcony windows. Her Digimon came and leapt up onto the armrest.

"How are the others?" Gatomon asked.

Kari patted her softly, "Davis is fine. He's got two broken legs though. H won't be able to play soccer for a while. I could see in his eyes, he knew- His dream, shattered, just like that."

Gatomon blinked once, "Uh, I asked about all the others. Not just Davis."

Kari just sat back in her chair and went on. "And do you know what? The first thing he said was asking whether Yolei and Ken were okay, he didn't even think about himself."

Gatomon grinned. "That's two firsts- Davis actually thinking, and thinking about others."

Kari still didn't answer, her face had a faraway look on it, and Gatomon knew that she was lost in her own memory. The Digimon jumped off of the chair's arm, and went to fix some tea.

Kari remembered, the day she and TK had made their little announcement.

Almost a year ago, when the new school term began…

"Everybody, Kari and I have something to say." TK's voice rang out loud in the classroom

All the eyes in the room turned to look at the Seventeen year old, all of the Tokyo Digidestined were there and their Digimon also turned to look.

TK seemed to dry up suddenly, and looked to Kari for help. She raised her eyes to the ceiling, and looked at everyone.

" and TK are finally going out together. That okay with everyone?"

Everyone in the room broke out in grins, but one seemed fixed in place, frozen in time.

"ABOUT TIME TOO!" Mimi's voice yelled and everyone in the room burst out laughing.

The Digidestined all rushed forward at once to congratulate the couple, and no one noticed Davis slip quietly from the room.

…No one except Kari.

She disengaged herself from her friends, and walked out into the hallway.

Davis was a little way ahead of her. Walking away, his shoulders slumped forward as he absently kicked along an empty soda can. She jogged to catch up with him.

"Davis?" He jumped when she spoke; he had obviously been so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he hadn't heard her coming. He regained his composure quickly.

"Kari?" He turned and started walking again, Veemon at his side, quiet for the first time in Kari's memory.

"Where are you going? Aren't you going to congratulate me?"

He turned back to her, and there was a coldness in his eyes, that was unlike anything she had ever seen before. It was something she would never have associated with Davis, the guy who was always so boisterous.

"Congratulations Kari."

He turned again. She caught his arm. As he looked at her, the coldness she had seen a second ago faded, and he gave a small smile. He stopped her before she could speak again.

"As long as you're happy Kari- I wish you the best." He looked back up the hallway. "He's a lucky guy."

Davis gently disengaged her hand from his arm, and walked away, before she could see the tears that welled up at the back of his eyes.

After that they had hardly spoken to or seen one another.

* * *

Davis absorbed everything Jun had said with a poker face.

"Broken legs…

Damaged vertebrae…

Lucky to get off this lightly…"

He just lay there, and thought about what might have been. He was going into physiotherapy in a few hours.

"We should have you back on your feet in a couple of months." Jun said I've arranged for the hospital psychiatrist to do some tests for shock."

A voice came from the door.

"I wouldn't bother, Jun, he's a hopeless case."

Tai, Cody, Joe and Izzy were stood at the door, large grins on their faces and parcels under their arms.

Their Digimon stood at their feet, and rushed in to talk excitedly with Veemon.

Jun grinned, "I'll leave you guys to it." Then she turned to leave the room, and gave Tai a flirtatious look, "And I'll see you… tonight." and she pecked his cheek.

Tai blushed like crazy, and the other guys wooed him on, making him feel a bit embarrassed.

"How…?" Davis said to himself "Three billion ladies in the world, and he chose my sister. Is nothing sacred?"

Thinking of them as a couple- for two years now and beginning to look like so much more—made him think back to Kari.

"Well, at least one Motomiya gets a Kaymiya." he said to himself

The three other Digi-Destined at the door sat around Davis's bed. He indicated their parcels.

"Those had better contain food."

Cody grinned, and looked at the bowl of porridge on the nightstand.

"Why should they, when they're feeding you that quality stuff?"

Davis glanced at his bowl of cold chicken soup.

"Are you kidding, even Veemon wouldn't touch this stuff."

Joe looked at him suspiciously.

"Are you sure? Let me try."

Before anyone could protest, he had grabbed the bowl and eaten a spoonful. His facial features locked into a fixed grin, "Mmm… Interesting texture…"

Davis smiled politely.

"Bathroom's across the hall. You might just make it."

At that split second, Joe's stomach gurgled, "Uh, oh! Emergency-Evac…!" and he ran out the door in a flash.

A smirking Izzy handed Davis his laptop.

"Thought you might like to take a look into the digital world or play some online games.

I stopped by at the car impound to check on your jeep. The cop told me to give you this, with his condolences."

He held out Davis's D3.

"Thanks. It might do Veemon some good to get into the digital world for a while, even if the doctors won't let me go. I know Jun won't especially."

"Anyway," said Izzy "The cop said your insurance can pay to fix it, through work."

Davis rolled his eyes and grumbled, "I help save the world and I got to pay for everything."

He looked at the big clock on the wall of his room. "I've got to go for my physiotherapy session now. I'll catch you guys later, okay?"

Davis levered himself out of bed, into the wheelchair that was at his side.

"When are you getting out of here?" Cody asked.

"Tomorrow… They said there's no point in keeping me around, except to annoy Jun, which everyone seems to take great delight in. it's nice to know it's not just me."

He wheeled himself out into the hallway. Cody followed him.

"I stopped in to see Yolei and Ken on the way here. Yolei said to give you a message:

The next time she asks you for a ride, say "NO!"

Davis laughed, "That figures, but I don't have a car at the moment and I can't drive like this.

Can you do me a favor?"

"Name it."

"Can you take Veemon back to my Mom's place? I'm gonna be staying there for a while. She wants to keep an eye on me." Davis pulled a face.

"Okay. Don't do anything stupid."

Davis couldn't help but growl, "Why is everyone SAYING THAT to me?!

Don't do anything stupid! Don't do anything stupid!

What have I done that's so stupid?!"

Cody fixed him with a baleful stare, and then pointed at his legs.

"Ugh! What next?" Davis groaned.


	3. Bloody Heart

**CHAPTER THREE**

A month had passed…

Davis sat in his wheelchair and looked outside the window of his family's apartment as the clouds went by in the morning sky, and he couldn't be more bored.

A whole month of no soccer had been extremely dreadful. Playing the same video games over, and over was less than thrilling.

At least he didn't have to go to school anymore. He was trying to beat boredom, not increase it.

Even though his friends would come by once in a while to check up on him, and they'd hang out a little, at the end he would go right back to being bored.

"A few more weeks." he said to himself "Just a few more weeks, and I can be me again." 

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"Hang on!" he called good-naturedly "My legs are broken, I can't move very fast."

He wheeled himself into the hallway, and rolled to the door. He opened it to see Kari standing there, Gatomon at her side. He had been mildly surprised to discover that Kari was living down the hall from his family's apartment, but life was full of surprises.

"Hi, Davis." she said tenderly to him. 

His heart began to race, but it stopped quickly as he reminded himself that she was taken- which was painful.

"Kari… uh… Hi. Why are you here?"

"I came to invite you to the park. I felt you were kind of bored in here, what with your mom working overseas, and Jun at the hospital all the time."

Davis smiled, "Sure, just let me get my crutches, I can't very well go in this thing." he tapped his chair. "Come on in."

He rolled into his room and came back on his crutches. It had taken him some time to grow used to them, but he maneuvered himself on them as if he had been using them for years and years.

"Ready?" asked Kari.

He nodded.

"Then let's go man!" her excitement made him smile. He opened the door for her.

"After you…"

She gave him a mocking curtsey.

"Thank you." She giggled.

He followed her down the corridor and into the lift. 

As Kari stepped out onto the sidewalk the blast of warm summer air hit her in the face, Gatomon leapt onto her shoulder, and huddled up close.

Kari was glad of Davis's company, even if he wasn't as much of a conversationalist as he used to be. She looked across at him, and noticed that he had the goggles he had inherited from Tai up on his head. He caught her looking and grinned.

"It's a nice day isn't it?"

"It's so beautiful," answered Kari "I remember all the summers we all spent together. Those were great times, especially, when you fell down in the mud while playing soccer."

Davis felt embarrassed, "Why does no one ever let me forget that?"

Suddenly, Kari sneezed softly.

"Bless you." said Davis.

She sniffed and thanked him, then looked through her purse for tissues, only to realize she didn't have any. 

"I've got some." Davis said, reaching into his pocket and handing her an unopened mini-pack of traveling tissues.

She accepted them tenderly. "Thank you."

He smiled back at her.

Kari blew her nose and discarded the used tissue in the garbage. Then she tried to give the rest fo the pack back to Davis, but he insisted she keep it.

"I know you're allergic to pollen, I'm not. Mom just insists I carry them with me anyway."

She smiled at him again, which really melted his heart.

"They're not as bad as they used to be. I'm almost over them actually. People can grow out of their allergies over time."

They started down the road to the park. Veemon and Gatomon hung behind to talk softly so as not to be overheard.

"Does he still like her?" asked Gatomon "I thought he was over her."

"He was," answered Veemon "But that was just his crush on her, now… it's beginning to look like, well… the real thing."

Gatomon looked back at Davis and Kari, and they shared a laugh together, and the way he looked lovingly at her confirmed what Veemon had said.

"But Kari's with TK." said Gatomon.

"Tell me something I don't know." grumbled Veemon "Besides Davis knows this too, and he doesn't want Kari to know how he feels. He just wants her to be happy."

Gatomon blinked her wide eyes in astonishment. She couldn't believe Davis was actually trying to be okay with this and not lashing out in a childish tantrum.

Veemon sometimes had a hard time believing it himself.

"Davis wanted me to evolve to champion level in the first place, so we could impress you and Kari."

At this point, he was practically confessing his own feeling, "I… sort of had a crush on you in the past."

She turned and stared at him with an even wider-eyed gaze. "You liked me? I mean, really?"

Veemon nodded.

"Well, how about now?"

The blue skinned Digimon smirked. "Could still be; who knows?"

He leapt ahead to catch up with the two figures, leaving Gatomon open mouthed just standing where she was.

The Cat-Digimon shook herself awake and then took off after him calling "Hey, wait up!"

\- - -

The two figures walked into the park where many people were gathered.

Some families were on picnics, some people were walking their dogs. Children were having fun at the playground, and there were school soccer teams practicing in the fields- on strict time schedules.

True, school was over, and some had graduated, but teams hadn't broken up just because. There were still games held every often, and some, like Davis, were trying to keep in shape ot make it on a big team superstar team someday.

"Heads up…!" a player called a stray fly-ball headed straight for Kari.

"WHOA!" she cried as she braced for impact, but Davis quickly raised one of his crutches, intercepting the ball and then whapping it back to the players.

"Yo' Davis, rock on!" the co-captain called.

Davis shot him a thumb-up.

"Come back to us soon, you here." called another player.

"No promises." he called to them.

Then he turned to walk with Kari.

"That was cool." she said to him.

"I'm not that rusty." he said to her "Soon as I get these casts off, I'm going to play non-stop for a week!"

Kari giggled, and then she looked around.

"What are you looking for?"

"TK. He said he'd be here, but I guess he's running late."

Davis began to feel that soft sickening feeling creep up on him again.

_"Keep it together, man."_ he said in his mind _"She's not your girl and she never will be! Let her be happy."_

"So, um…" he asked trying to keep it cool "How are you guys doing?"

Kari turned back to face him, "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious…"

She blinked once, "Well, we're doing okay. We've gone to the movies, he helps me when I shop, and well he's even taken me to dinner a few times, even to a couple of fancy places."

Davis could only begin to imagine how romantic it would be to do all those things with Kari- he quite literally was imagining himself and her doing all those things.

He quickly snapped himself out of it.

"Damn!" he grumbled.

"What was that?" she asked.

"Uh… I mean uh… "Dance" do you guys go dancing?"

Kari blinked once "Well… not really. We don't go too much dancing since the graduation dance, but it would be nice. I wouldn't mind another heavenly time like that."

Deep down, Davis was thinking this sounded like trouble in paradise, but at the same time he scolded himself for thinking like that. His emotions were really tying up in knots.

"Davis?"

"Yeah?"

"Why did you leave the dance early that evening? And don't tell me it was just to give Yolei a lift home."

He looked at her, and saw that she wanted the truth. He turned and swung a few paces before looking back.

"I just was bored. I wasn't really doing anything, and besides, Ken was way out of his skull, talking to potted plants."

Kari frowned, suspecting he was lying, and figuring this had something to do with the possibility that he still liked her, but she wanted to make sure.

"Davis, do you have anyone special?"

"Pardon…?"

"You know, some special girl in your life that you want to be with."

Davis hesitated to answer, really finding it difficult to come up with what to say.

"N…. No, I don't really."

"But you're going to find someone, aren't you?"

He shook his head at her.

"What?"

"I'm just not into anyone, that's all." he lied about that "Besides, what girl would want to go out with me now- a guy with two broken legs and can't do much."

Now she was very certain he wasn't being honest with her, and she gave him a sour stare. "I don't like it when people lie to me, Davis." Then she turned and stalked off.

"Kari!" He swung along to catch up with her. She ignored him and walked faster away from him.

"Kari, wait! Just talk to me."

She was walking faster, and his crutch suddenly slipped from walking to fast, and he slipped and fell on his stiff legs. They didn't ache as much when he fell, but he couldn't get back up.

Kari turned and dashed back to him. She bent down and helped him to his feet.

"Are you okay?"

He nodded, and grimaced at the bolt of pain that shot up his leg as it straightened. He stooped to retrieve his crutched. Then he looked up at her again.

"Look, I'm sorry if I upset you."

She stopped him.

"No. If you don't want to tell me, it's not my place to make you" She smiled "Besides, I'm not that sure I want to know anyway."

They started walking again.

"So what do you want to do?"

"I think I'll go roller-skating. TK said he'd be there later."

Davis frowned. 

* * *

They arrived at the outdoor roller-skating rink, and spotted TK almost immediately.

He blazed down the rink in majestic curves and spirals left in his wake, as he spun and twisted along like a ballet dancer.

He spotted them, and glided over, Patomon clinging to his head for dear life. As TK skipped onto the grass next to them, his Digimon shakily took off from his head and alighted next to Veemon and Gatomon. Davis looked at the three Digimon.

"Patomon looks like he's gonna throw up."

TK glanced at his small companion.

"I don't think he's the skating type."

He turned to his girlfriend, and kissed her full on the lips.

Davis turned away and bit his finger as a pang of extreme jealousy spiked through his stomach.

Only Gatomon noticed, and when he caught her eye, she immediately felt guilty for paying such close attention.

Kari finally broke away, with a self-conscious look at Davis, who was still looking at the Digimon, his eyes downcast.

"I'm going to go skating." she said. She walked over to the rental booth, and got herself a pair of skates. She tied the laces over her shoes, and stepped out onto the rink.

Davis and TK sat on a bench at the side of the rink and watched her. She moved more slowly than TK, and her graceful movements sent her hair flowing out behind her. She pirouetted and weaved between the people around her, who all seemed to part as she came near to them, entranced by this figure of beauty that glided among them.

Davis realised, for the first time, that he was hopelessly, head-over-heels, in love with Kari…

…And she was in love with the guy sitting next to him and had been dating him for almost a whole year.

He stood up.

TK looked up at him.

"Where are you going?"

"To get some food, I haven't eaten all day." His tone was a cold enough to be an air-conditioner in the summer heat around them, and TK suddenly felt like a mosquito bit against his cheek.

"Are you okay, Davis?"

Davis grinned apologetically.

"Yeah, I just need food. You know how I get when I'm starving; I can't control my emotions."

He made his way through the crowds to the burger stand that stood on away from the rink.

His eyes never left Kari as he continued to watch her skating as he went, and was so engrossed in her skating that he didn't see the figure he bumped into.

"Hey, watch it!"

"Yolei?"

Her eyes widened in surprise as she recognised him.

"Davis! How are you? I haven't seen you in ages! You're out of your chair!"

Davis's grin grew wider at her outburst.

"It has been a while, hasn't it? I'm here with Kari and TK. I just came to get some food. You want anything? Is Ken here?"

Yolei's face grew darker at Ken's name. Davis frowned.

"Have you two fallen out?"

Yolei nodded.

"We had a little bit of a fight! He and his family were going to their family's cabin by the lake but he wouldn't take me along. He said we've been spending too much time together and should think about our private lives."

Davis raised an eyebrow.

"Is that all?"

She turned to look at him sharply, "What do you mean "Is that all?"

"Yolei, Ken's right. You guys do spend so much time together; I've hardly seen you guys all that much. One or two times doesn't do it enough.

Besides, couples don't need to do absolutely everything together. If I was in a relationship I'd still want to have a little quality Me-Time.

Don't you enjoy it when you're by yourself, doing what you feel like, not having a care in the world?"

Yolei was shocked and amazed. Not only was Davis sounding like some professional relationship councillor- for a guy who wasn't in a relationship himself- but he was actually right too.

"Besides," Davis went on "Ken's cabin is small, not much room to spare- it's practically a garden shed, and they're just going fishing and nature walking. You're not into those things."

Yolei felt really upset with herself.

"I better apologize to him when he gets back. Thanks"

He smiled at her, and they both prepared to order get their lunches, but then a scream burst out across the rink! 

* * *

Kari spun across the rink, with her short hair flowing out behind her, as she forgot all of her problems in the joy of movement.

She pushed TK and Davis from her mind, and just skated across the rink.

She momentarily saw Davis working his way across to the food stall on his crutches, and then she was moving again.

She spotted Davis again, and then she saw that he had bumped into Yolei, and they were talking animatedly about something. She was so confident, that she watched them as she moved, not really concentrating on where she was going.

She never noticed her skate wheels were starting to wobble, as all her fancy skating had loosened the nuts that held them in place. 

The front wheels came off of one of her skates and rolled across the rink tripping up a few skaters, but she was now frantic and out of control on only one good skate.

She screamed as she zoomed out over the edging of the rink and began to roll down the hill.

"KARI!" Davis shouted as he watched her tumbling and rolling down the slope, unable to stop, and WHAMM… she collided, head-first, into a lamppost and lay flat on the ground.

Davis rushed forward like a man possessed,

"Davis!" Yolei called to him, but he just kept on going, and didn't even care about the slope. Not even when he began to slip and roll down the hill himself, which really shot extreme pain through his broken legs and damaged the casts.

TK came out from the park bathroom and noticed all the people were panicking.

"Yolei," he called to her "What happened?"

"Kari went down the hill! I think she's hurt! Davis went after her!"

"WHAT?!" shouted TK, and he quickly tried to rush his way over through the crowds to get to the slope. 

* * *

In his tumbling, Davis could see a garbage can by the lamppost coming up, and he managed to straighten himself out and rammed his feet aginast the can, stoping himself.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" he screeched as the pain shot right up through his legs. 

He clenched his fists and his teeth tightly to supress the pain all he could, but it was only when he saw he was right next to an unconscious Kari that he quickly forgot the hurting.

He also noticed a trail of blood was spewing forth from under her.

"She's bleeding!" he cried.

He struggled to get next to her and rolled her over to see not only had she a huge bump on her head, but her shit was sliced open and she had a deep wound to her side caused by a broken beer bottle she had struck on her way down the slope.

"Okay, okay, calm down!" he said to himself "Remember what Jun showed you- to stop the bleeding, apply pressure directly to the wound.

He hastily took off his own shirt and balled it up, and even tore off bits of his broken cast to enforce it, and he pressed the ball directly against Kari's side, pressing as hard as he possibly could.

Kari didn't even moan in pain and was starting to look pale from the blood loss. 

"Come on, Kari!" he cried "I'm not going to let you die!" 

"Davis…" someone called to him.

This man was, Liam Dillon, Davis' boss and owner of the Irish Pub where he worked.

"What's goin' on?" he asked, but he could see himself.

"Call an ambulance!" Davis cried.

"Right!" snapped Liam and he got out his cell-phone.

Davis continued to push on the wound all he could, but Kari was still unconscious.

He put one hand to her face, and she was starting to feel cold!

"No!" he cried. He remembered Jun had told him that this was very serious when someone started to get cold from a blood loss.

He had to find some way to keep her warm until the meds got there.

"Here," said Liam taking off his sweat-jacket, "Wrap it around her, and hold her close. Your body heat will heat will help keep her warm.

Davis did as he was told, never let go of the wound.

His hands hurt from all the pushing against it, and his legs were sore as ever, but he was holding to stop.

"Please, don't give up Kari! I'm not going to give on you, so don't you give up on me, you hear?!"

The bleed seemed to be stopping a little bit. Liam's sweat jacket and the cast plaster were all red and crusty, but Kari still needed help.

Soon, the ambulance came- two in fact. Liam had called a second one for Davis, seeing what bad shape his legs were in and that his casts were broken.

"Hey!" TK called as he and Yolei finally managed to make it down the hill,

"We're coming too!" cried Yolei.

She and Liam both rode with Davis in one ambulance; while TK helped the medics load Kari into the other ambulance where they immediately started treating her wounds. Patamon and Gatomon went with them. 

Davis kept watching grimly as that ambulance pulled away, and then the doors of the ambulance he was in shut and started on its way to the hospital.

"I hope she's okay." Yolei said with tears of worry in her eyes, but Davis was worried the most, so much he could barely hear the medic ask him how his casts got broken.

Veemon shook his head grimly.

"What's goin' on?" asked Liam.

"I don't think you want to know, but I'll tell you later." said Veemon

A few hours later, Tai got a call from Jun the second Kari was admitted to the hospital, and he rushed over in a heartbeat. He didn't even ask at the reception and just ran carelessly down the halls to where Yolei told him Kari was.

"Is she alright!" he cried, but he could see his sister was still unconscious, and a little pale.

"The good news is, we managed to stich her up." said Jun "But the bad news is she suffered a pretty major concussion when she hit her head, and worse than that, she lost a lot of blood.

She needs a trans-fusion and fast or…" she stopped, not wanting to say anymore dreadful words.

Everyone felt so sick to their stomachs already.

"Well, give her a transfusion then!" cried TK "I can't lose her!"

Jun looked a little grimly at him, "It's not that simple. She has a very rare blood-type, and we don't have it here. Our blood bank ran dry a week ago, and we've been stocking ever since, but we don't have any of Kari's type."

Tai's stomach began to turn, "There's got to be something we can do!" he sobbed as he looked down at his sister.

Jun was about to suggest something, when the nurse came in, panting, "Doctor Motomiya, here!" she held up a bag full of freshly drawn blood without a label on it due to the emergency and rush.

Jun was at first surprised, but she quickly hooked Kari up to the I.V.

Everyone could only then wait as the blood slowly flowed into her.

"Her temperature's rising." Jun said with hope in her voice.

She then held Kari's wrist, and then listened to her heart, and she smiled widely at Tai, "She'll be alright!" she exclaimed softly with glee.

Tai held his head up at the ceiling, grinning as his tears flowed.

TK wiped his own eyes, and the two Digimon fainted, feeling overwhelmed with delight, yet overcome with shock.

Kari just needed rest now, to wake up from her concussion as the blood strengthened her, and her stiches had a chance to heal, but Jun promised that the worst was over.

Jun then ordered them all out so Kari could sleep, and that meant TK had to leave too. No exceptions.

TK softly pecked his girlfriend on her warming up head, and left with the others.

"But who gave Kari the blood?" asked Gatomon.

Jun already could guess who did it, but she wasn't willing to say- Doctor-Patient confidentiality.

…And she didn't have to say.

"Davis?" asked Tai.

TK blinked once, "He has the same blood-type as Kari?"

"Jun…!" Davis called as he groggily wheeled himself in a wheelchair towards them, with fresh casts on his leg.

Jun waved her hands innocently, "I didn't tell them. They guessed."

Davis felt really weak, and looked on the verge of passing out.

"What are you even doing out here anyway?" his sister asked "You shouldn't be up and about, especially after the crazy stunts you pulled. You could've gotten yourself killed!"

Davis was too tired to argue, and he was rolled back to his hospital room where he demanded by his sister not to leave until the next morning.

"Just the same," she winked at him "Good job."

"You totally saved Kari's life, Davis." added Yolei.

Tai bent down and would hugged him in the biggest squeeze ever, but just looked down at him with that same tearful expression, "I'll never be able to repay you for this, Davis."

TK down deeply at him and agreed, "You rule, man. I feel like I owe you."

Davis smiled very weakly, "Forget it."

"Well, then," said Liam "I can think of one way to celebrate this- drinks at the pub on me tonight.

You comin', Doc?"

Jun looked at Tai flirtatiously, "Only if you're coming."

Tai looked at her with extremely love in his eyes, and nodded.

With that settled, Jun ordered everyone out, but only Veemon was given permission to stay, being small and all that.

"Davish…? Are you asleep?"

"Not really." Davis groaned "I've never been so woozy before. I'm almost too tired to sleep.

I guess being in love makes you do crazy things. Even if it's not reciprocated."

Veemon rolled his eyes.

"I'm just so glad Kari's okay. If anything happened her… I don't know what I'd—

…What… I'd…"

"Shh… take it easy." whispered Veemon softly patting his forehead, "I'm sure she'll be just as grateful."

Davis finally fell into a very deep sleep, and Veemon could only sigh, "Poor guy…"


	4. Reaching the Limits

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Kari sat up in the hospital bed, two days since she had awoken.

Her stiches had healed nicely, but she was told to stay in bed until she was given the all-clear by Jun to get up.

Gatomon was fast asleep on the chair beside her.

Kari looked out of the window. The city lights looked so beautiful at night, and the cars going down the streets—it looked as if their headlights and taillights were putting on a show.

She felt lonely, even though she was nearly always surrounded by her friends and well-wishers, she hated being practically by herself without anyone to talk to, and Gatomon constantly napping.

The TV in her room only ever showed her news networks, boring sitcoms, or black-and-white classic movies in foreign languages.

Only Jun gave her any continuous company, and that was really because she worked there, and constantly came in to examine her every day, or just talk awhile on her breaks.

She looked on the small table next to her, where all the many cards and flowers from her well-wishers laid that she had received over the past couple of days.

But today there was a new card that she hadn't noticed before. Inside it had a beautiful poem, handwritten. It read:

_"You have fallen to misfortune and I feel bad,  
__But I'm glad that you pulled through  
__Your health is most important to me and to others  
__I wish only the best for you."_

_"Get well soon, Kari- Davis."_

There was so much meaning behind those words, or was she reading into it too much? She wasn't sure.

She was confused. TK's card stood on the dresser, a huge thing decked in ribbons, and it had a pre-made poem in it as it was a store-bought card, and she didn't remember Davis ever being into poetry all that much. She remembered how he would fall asleep on his desk during literature classes, which usually earned him a detention for snoring so loud.

Jun came in to give Kari her routine exam, and saw her patient was lost in deep thought.

"Kari?"

She jumped softly, and then groaned as she held her sides.

"Whoa, easy there!" said Jun "You still may feel a little bit of pain."

"Sorry, I was miles away." said Kari.

Jun then sat down next to her bed and examined her.

She took her blood-pressure, listened to her heart and her breathing. "Okay," she said "You sound great. You'll be out of here tomorrow; provided you don't keep jumping like that."

Kari smiled widely, "Thank goodness. I'm going to go crazy if I just lie around here like this any longer.

Thanks, Jun."

Now Jun was smiling, but in a lovingly sense, "Anything for you… New sister." And she playfully twiddled her fingers in front of Kari showing off the ring she had.

Kari gasped softly in such delight, "Tai proposed?"

Jun nodded excitedly, "Don't jump now!"

Kari held herself down as much as she could, but the two ladies shared a huge hug.

"I can't believe it!" cried Kari.

"Me neither." sighed Jun.

She never felt so happy in her life- remembering how when she was a horny, boy-crazed teenager who wanted nothing more than to meet that one-special guy.

"Hi," Davis swung himself into the room with a fresh cast on his right leg. The doctors had not been impressed that he jumped down a slope, even if it was to save Kari.

By now, even Kari knew it was Davis who had saved her from her big fall, and it was he who donated his blood to save her life.

"Telling Kari about the engagement?" he asked. "She's only told me a dozen times every hour."

His sister glared sourly at him.

Gatomon awoke and stretched out on the chair, "What time is it?" she asked as she rubbed her eyes.

Jun checked her watch, "It's quitting time for me." and began to unbutton her doctor coat. "It's my day off tomorrow too, and I plan to celebrate as much as I can."

"Hey, not without me you're not." Tai said as he stood by the door.

He looked at her most lovingly and she fluttered her eyes at him.

Davis rolled his eyes, and Kari couldn't help but giggle.

The elder siblings decided to tease them both by coming together and deeply kissing right in front of them.

Much as Davis and Kari thought it weird, they thought it was just as sweet as well.

"Congrats, big guy…" Davis said to Tai.

Tai gave him a bro-hug, "Now we can be real bros."

Davis smiled.

Tai then looped his arm around Jun's, "Shall we?"

"Oh, my…" Jun swooned.

"Can you drop me off at home first?" asked Gatomon "I need to stretch my legs. It's just too quiet at this hospital."

"At least you can get up and go." said Kari.

Tai and Gatomon were still very relieved that Kari was okay and would be out tomorrow.

As the trio left, Davis offered to stay and keep Kari company a while.

Davis sat on the end of the bed, and looked up at her.

"I can't believe Tai and Jun are getting hitched."

"Yeah," agreed Kari "It's like you and I are going to family too. Like brother and sister."

As nice as the thought seemed, Davis felt that small lingering of sadness creep up on him deep down, but he did his best not to let Kari see it.

"I'm really glad you're all better, Kari. I'm sorry I haven't dropped by lately."

She shook her head. "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't even be here for anyone to see me.

Thank you Davis." It seemed such an inadequate thing to say, but better than nothing.

He smiled at her.

"Well, you already knew I wasn't the type to give up."

She was quiet for a while.

Then she suddenly looked up at him, and their eyes met.

"Why did you do that, Davis?" she asked "You could've ended up in the same state as me, only worse with your broken legs?"

Davis looked at her like she was mad, "Are you kidding? I had to do it. I couldn't just let you lie there without help. Anyone would've done it."

"But not anyone did. You did. And I want to know why."

He took in a breath. When he spoke, he seemed to be choosing his words carefully.

"I just told you- I couldn't just stand there whilst you were in trouble. I would have done it for anyone else too, but you're my friend. I felt I had to."

Kari frowned.

"You would have done it for anyone? Would you have carried on holding their wounds shut for anyone else too? Or would you have given up when everyone else had?"

"Kari, don't talk at me like that?"

"No, let me finish." she snapped at him, and then she spoke softly and deeply, "I was told what happened. How you willing just dashed off after me, and how you helped stop my bleeding, and then I find out that you donated some of your rare blood to save me then.

You say it's because I'm your friend, and that's sweet and all, but I think it was more than that. Why else would have desperately tried to save me?"

Davis cast his eyes downwards, suddenly taking great interest in his shoes. He also felt betrayed by his friends, after he had specifically told them not to tell her, knowing she would take it like this.

"Davis," Kari said "I know this sounds off topic, but I think it'll clear things up. Why did you leave the dance that night you had your accident? I want the truth this time."

He was struggling very hard, as if he were trying desperately to keep something from her, and felt that gave her the answer. "We're you upset because of my and TK, Davis?"

He looked up again, his eyes angry, a deep fire flickering in them. "Yes. Yes, it is true!" He spoke directly and almost fiercely at her. "I was jealous of you and TK. You were dancing with you on that floor, holding each other and kissing.

My insides were on fire, and not in a good way. I couldn't stand it any longer. I had to get out of there and fast, because if I didn't I knew the envy would eat me alive."

Kari felt shocked deep down, but now it was all making perfect sense, and she was very surprised to see and hear that he still harbored feelings for her after all this time.

"I'm getting out of here!" He started to get up, but Kari grabbed hold of his arm. He turned his face towards her. This time she could see the tears in his eyes as well as the deep inner sadness.

She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, the lightest touch of her lips against his skin.

Davis was very shocked, and touched his face, "What was that for?"

She smiled at him, "For finally being honest with me, and for saving my life."

They gazed deeply at each other, but then TK came in with a big bouquet of flowers, "Hey there."

Davis quickly had propelled himself up onto his crutches and out of the door. TK turned to look at his girlfriend. "What was that about?"

Kari looked through the door down the hall as Davis disappeared into an elevator. A look of deep concern came across her face.

* * *

Davis walked out of the hospital, confused, lost, and alone. His legs ached, urging him to rest, but he didn't stop. He needed to put some distance between himself and the girl who sat in that bed.

He finally stopped on a bench outside.

Sitting down, he looked up at the hospital, spotting Kari's window almost immediately, and even at that distance he could see her and TK sharing a kiss.

He held his hand up against his eyes in attempt to stop the painful tears from leaking out, but it was no use.

One tear trickled down the side of his cheek touching the spot where Kari's kiss lay, and it burned him like acid!

He couldn't go on like this. He needed to be alone, really alone.

He and his family also owned a cabin by the same lake as Ken and his family. It was just the place he needed to be so he could have some privacy and time to think this over.

Liam had given him the week of after had hurt himself saving Kari and getting his legs recast. Getting away was what he really needed to do right now.

He stood up again, and went home, which was only a few blocks down the street.

He got through the front door, and June called out to him. "Davis?"

"Yeah, it's me." He called back.

Going into his room he pulled a sports bag from the top of the wardrobe. He stuffed some clothes into the bag. All the essentials he would need.

His family's cabin was kept fairly stocked with canned food.

"Taking a trip?" June asked from the door "Or just running away?" she asked, a snarl in her voice.

There was just no fooling her. She knew he was upset over Kari, again!

"I need some space Jun, I need someplace to think. I need to get away for a while."

Her anger left her.

"Where are you going go?"

"The cabin… It's just right for what I need to do right now."

"Well, you can't drive with your leg like that. I'll give you a lift; it's only half an hour out of town."

Jun put her jacket on.

"Just answer me one thing. This is about her isn't it?"

"You know it is."

His sister sighed.

"Even you should know this isn't healthy for me right now." he said to her, and she knew he was right. Maybe a little time away would do him a world of good.

"Don't tell her. I mean it this time," he practically demanded "I want to be alone. I don't want to talk to her, see her or anything!"

Jun frowned, "Davis, I say this to you as your sister and as a doctor. You can't keep running like this, and you can't keep bottling up your feelings. You need to face them eventually, especially now that Tai and I are engaged, Kari's part of the family too."

"I know. That's why I'm doing this- so I can figure out exactly what to do."

His sister sighed, "Come on. The sooner we get there, the faster you can figure this out.

But I'm not kidding. I want you to talk to her when you get back."

Davis smiled sadly.

"Sure."

Brother and sister walked out of the door together.


	5. Painful decisions

**CHAPTER FIVE**

The next day, Kari was released from the hospital as promised, but all day long she felt restless and bored.

Tai had gone over to Jun's to talk wedding plans, and TK was helping his mom with the shopping that day what with Matt away at college.

And her own mom was out of town visiting her father who lived in Tokyo.

Even with Gatomon around, she hungered for human company- one particular human to be precise.

She never stopped thinking about Davis and getting truth out of him the other night.

She now knew that he was upset deep down and still harbored some feelings for her, and it explained why he had been acting so strange and distant with her lately.

Deep down she was feeling rather guilty and upset that she had made him upset.

He was friend, a close friend- maybe even closer, the way he saved her life, risking his own?

She needed to talk to him, to really say things that needed to be said and clear things up.

She turned on her heel, and Gatomon watched her go.

_"Kari's been acting strange lately."_ she thought to herself _"She seems so worried about Davis and keeps getting lost in her thoughts."_

She had a feeling she knew what was really happening, and she only felt this was going to lead to trouble.

The young woman walked down the hall to the Motomiya's apartment. She felt nervous, her stomach churning, and suddenly the thought hit her that this was a bad idea, that she couldn't say what needed to be said.

He was probably already upset enough, and her being there would probably only make it worse.

She stood outside the door for a moment, gathering her courage. She raised her hand, and rapped her knuckles on the door.

"Kari?" Jun looked surprised. Kari looked relieved.

"Tai's not here, he went out to get us some takeout."

"Is Davis here?" Kari asked. Jun shook her head.

"He's gone away for the week."

"Do you know where he's gone? I really need to talk to him."

The older woman hesitated.

"Well…" Kari said sounding a bit cross.

"I can't tell you. I promised him I wouldn't."

Kari frowned, "Jun, this is serious. I really need to talk with him!"

She told Jun about the other night, when she and Davis talked.

Jun sighed and realized it was no wonder her brother felt so mixed up.

"I'm not telling you." she said firmly to the younger woman. "Why do you think he's left? He wants to get away from you.

Do you have any idea how he's feeling?

Do you even care?

He needs time to himself, Kari."

She still refused to tell her where he had gone… and she didn't have to. Kari could read her like a book.

"He's gone to your family's cabin by the lake." she turned to leave, but Jun grabbed hold of her arm.

"Didn't you listen to a word I said? You're NOT helping things by going after him. All that you will accomplish by going up there is to hurt him, and now he'll think I've betrayed him."

Kari gently disengaged herself from Jun's arm. She looked up at her friend.

"Jun, can't you see how much keeping things unsaid are doing just as much harm?"

Jun wanted to protested, but she couldn't think of anything to say given how messed up her brother was for keeping his secrets bottled up for too long.

"I need to talk to him," Kari said.

June sighed, and was never going to forgive herself for this. "The cabin's on the left side of the lake, further up the road from Ken's."

Kari smiled, "Thank you, Jun."

And she ran off nearly running into her brother as he came back with takeout.

"Kari!"

"Sorry, Tai. I have to go!" she called to him.

Tai watched as his sister raced down the hall. "What's got her so worked up?"

* * *

Kari raced back home and grabbed a leather jacket and gloves.

Then she headed down to the apartment parking through. She walked over to a tarpaulin-covered mound in the corner. Pulling back the sheet, she revealed a bike; its chrome fittings gleaming in the dull light. She mounted, pulled on her helmet, and pushed down the kick-start with her heel.

The bike roared into life, its engine noise resounding around the garage. She pulled out of her parking space, and up the entrance ramp.

Once she was onto the open road, she gunned the engine.

She didn't notice a figure watching her from the corner of the street.

TK got into his car, and followed the bike through the traffic.

"Why is she heading for the lake?" he wondered.

Going as fast as she could, and thanks to there being less traffic at night, Kari reached her destination in less than twenty minutes.

She stopped, looking up at the beautiful sight of the lake- the way the moonlight reflected on the calm water, and the sweet smell of fresh forest air with not many city smells.

Many of the cabins were dark as they were unoccupied by the people who owned them, and only one or two were actually lit up.

Kari recognized Ken's family cabin, even from that far off across the water.

She revved her bike, and tore down the road.

She came to a corner which was the last one before the road that lead to the Motomiya cabin where Davis was, when she stopped because she heard a car honking at her from behind- a horn she recognized all too well.

TK's car drove a short distance behind her. It stopped and he got out. He called to her.

"Kari!"

She turned to look at him, got of her bike, and walked over.

"Were you following me?"

"Hey, you've only just got out of hospital; I was coming over to see you, and then I saw you on the road."

"Well, I'm fine, so you can go home. I need to talk to Davis."

TK frowned, "And what have you got to say to him that you can't say in front of me, huh? What could possibly be only between you two that you don't want me to be there?"

Kari cast her eyes down, "It's not like that."

TK was not convinced. She had been acting very strange since the other night, and he had suspected something had been going between his girlfriend and Davis.

"You said you can't stand people who don't tell the truth, Kari." he said to her, rather sternly.

Kari felt licked!

"Whatever," TK said and he began to walk back to his car, "If really care about me, you'll tell me what's going on, or you can forget about it and go have your chat with Davis."

Now she felt he was being unfair, and it really put her in a spot, but as her boyfriend started his car and turned back down the road, she revved the engine, and followed TK's car, abandoning her plans to talk to Davis… for now.

* * *

In his cabin Davis watched them go from the window.

Jun had warned him with a cell-phone call when Kari had left- and made sure to tell him she didn't directly tell her he had gone to the cabin, she just guessed.

He let go of the curtains of the window, and turned walk over and sit down on the sofa, sitting alone in the dark with no lights or even the TV on.

For one second- for one glorious second- he thought that Kari would turn round and come to the cabin, despite TK.

Then he realised, he wasn't sure whether he wanted that to happen. Kari was happy with TK, and he didn't want her being with him out of gratitude, or some sense of debt.

There was no more denying it now. He really wanted her to love him. She was his one and only love, the only girl he could possibly love, and no other woman in the world could take her place no matter what they would offer him.

But she was happy, and wasn't that the oath he had made to her- As long as she was happy, he wouldn't interfere.

His head sunk into his hands, and his face, and then he looked at his reflection in the mirror, and he didn't like what he saw- the face a torn-up young man, with emptiness in his eyes and pain in his heart.

A few days later, he had taken a few walks around the lake- his legs didn't hurt as much anymore as they were getting much better- he'd done some fishing, but not a moment when by that he didn't stop thinking about the situation he was creating for himself and Kari.

He loved her, but his love was only hurting her, not to mention hurting himself even more, and the more he saw her, talked to her- the more he saw her with TK and how happy they were together wouldn't do him any better.

"I guess that's it then." he said to himself "There's no other choice."

He felt rather sick to his stomach, and really upset knowing that this would upset Kari, as well as the others deeply, but he would just have to explain that he was doing it for the best for everyone, not just himself.

He was going to let her go- keep out of her life, and avoid having anymore contact with her of any kind, which included hanging out with the gang, and even his own sister and Tai.

This way Kari could be with TK, and he wouldn't see them and have to be upset about it anymore.

As long as she was happy, his feelings meant nothing.

He would keep away from her, and maybe- just maybe- the love he felt would grow cold, and die out.

Regardless, he would start anew… without her.

* * *

_**Author's notes:**_

_**I think Davis is acting sensibly. If being friends just isn't enough for you, and you can't bear to hang around someone you want to be with so desperately, I feel this is the proper course of action, and what "LETTING GO" really means!**_


	6. Separate Ways

**CHAPTER SIX**

After a week at the cabin, Jun arrived to take her brother home, but they first stopped off at the hospital so he could get his casts removed once and for all.

Davis watched as his sister skillfully cut the plaster open, finally exposing his legs to the light after being wrapped up for so long.

"Ahh… that feels so great." Davis sighed as he rubbed his legs to warm them up. They felt so stiff and weak due to lack of use.

He tried to stand up, and nearly keeled over.

"Watch it there!" his sister said as she caught him "You need to walk around a bit and get your blood flowing into them again, and that means NO soccer matches, not yet anyway."

Her brother sighed. "Great. More waiting."

"Besides," Jun reminded him "Don't you have _something else_ to do?"

He knew what she was getting at, and hesitated to answer.

"Davis, you promised me you'd talk to her."

"Jun," he said softly "Look, I've been doing some thinking, and I may as well tell you first."

You can bet, his sister was horrified to hear what he was planning. "No!" she said firmly "No, I won't let you."

"You're not our mom, Jun. You can't stop me this time. I'm doing this for everyone's best."

"Yeah, more like yourself." she protested.

Her brother's features hardened, "You told me that I have to face my problems, but you also told me it's unhealthy to go on like this."

"Davis, you can't just abandon her like this. You can't abandon us- your friends and family. DO you know how much heartbreak this is going to cause everyone?"

Now her brother looked as if he was going to cry, "I know, but I can't just _not do it _either, or it'll cause me just as much pain, for everyone!

At least this way, we'll all have a chance to get used it, maybe we can all move on with our lives, and I especially don't want to ruin things for you and Tai.

I'm happy you're getting married, Jun, I really am, but can you be happy if things just stay the way they are now and you know how unhappy I am?"

Jun was really getting tired of being unable to argue with him, but she still didn't support his idea.

"I just hope you know what you're doing." was all she said.

"… Me too." Davis said, but he said it to himself.

* * *

A few days later,

Kari walked up to the Motomiya's door once more, her pulse racing. She had heard Davis get home, and had waited for a while before going out the door again, to give him time to strengthen his legs again.

She had to talk to him today, before it was too late.

She knocked, and instead of June this time, Davis's smiling face appeared as the door opened, but the smile faded into sadness as he looked at her. He opened the door the rest of the way and she came inside. He sat down, and gestured to the chair opposite, still not saying a word. She sat, and he looked up.

"Why are you here Kari?"

She felt startled by his question.

"Because we need to talk, and you know it. I have things I need to say."

"So say them. But be honest with me. Tell me how you really feel."

Her eyes fell, "Davis, I know you have feelings for me, but you know I'm with TK."

"Yes, I know."

Neither of them said a thing for a moment. They just sat on opposite ends of the room as if they were afraid to say anything next.

Finally, Kari broke the silence, "Davis, you're my friend, and I do care about you, and lately it's been hard for me to think straight after everything that's happened."

Davis summoned all the courage he could to say what he was about to say, "Kari, I don't think we should be around each other anymore."

Kari looked up at him.

"What?"

"I'm moving out of here into my own apartment. I think it's time for us to go our separate ways."

Kari looked at him with deep shock, and he got up to head for his room, but she saw the tears in his eyes as he turned away.

"Davis you can't!" she cried.

"I have to."

She ran up in front of him, refusing to let him go any further.

"Davis, you're being insane. You can't just run away from everyone because of me. This isn't the right way."

"Well, what is the right way?" he asked her rather sternly "…Staying here, getting more and more upset because I see the woman I love in the arms of another man?" He stopped quickly and put his hand over his mouth, realizing he had just said "Love."

Kari froze where she was gawking straight at him, but really she was just frozen in shock by the fact he admitted he loved her.

This gave him the perfect chance to walk past her, grab his sports bag containing a good deal of his clothes. He planned to send for the rest of his things once he had completely settled in to his new apartment.

He came back out again, and saw Kari was still standing where she was, in shock from his confession to her.

Her shook his head miserably at her, and then headed out the door…

…Out of her life.

She looked up, snapping out of her trance.

She ran into the hall, just as the elevator doors were closing. Running towards them, she saw Davis look up at her, "Goodbye." The tears were cascading down his face now.

She tripped, falling headlong down the hall, coming to stop just before the elevator doors, and they closed as the lift started to move. She got to her knees, and the last thing she saw were Davis's eyes piercing into her own.

The tears started to fall down her cheeks. She placed her hand on the doors, feeling the cold metal against her hand.

"Davis…" she sobbed softly.

There were lots of things Kari didn't like when it came to people.

-When they kept secrets from her.

-When they lied to her

-When they trashed-talked about family members.

But what she really hated and could never possibly bear was a friend walking out on her the way Davis just did, and saying he didn't want to see her anymore.

* * *

Kari walked around the town aimlessly, dazed, her head spinning. It had started raining, which cooled things off from the summer heat.

She was supposed to meet TK at Liam's in an hour, and she worked her way across town to the bar.

The Irishman greeted her as she walked in.

"Well, look who t'is is. How are ya feeling gal?"

She nodded, but he saw right through her.

"Come here. Tell ol' Liam what ails ya."

She explained, and Liam shook his head, sympathy written on his face.

"You mean you knew all along?" asked Kari.

"Sakes be the green, girl- I've got eyes, haven't I? Of course I knew how he felt about ya. I don't be thinkin' there's a person that didn't know."

Kari felt really stupid now. It was if she was realizing for the first time just how much Davis truly loved her, and she never took the chance to notice much, thinking he'd gotten over her.

"Are ya feelin' okay?" asked Liam.

Kari shut her eyes tightly.

"I honestly don't know. I mean have a great boyfriend, a great life, surrounded by friends.

So why do I feel this way? I don't know why I can't stop thinking about Davis.

Is it because he saved my life?

Is it because I feel guilty for hurting him?"

Liam looked deeply at her, "Or maybe you're startin' to see him as… more than just a friend?"

Her eyes widened.

Liam nodded, "That's what I thought.

I'm not going to tell ya what to do or how to live your life, Kari, but I will tell ya something me father told me once…"

He placed two glasses on the bar and began to pour some wine into them as he quoted, "Life is like pouring a drink- One glass fills up this high, but another one fills up higher.

The higher the drink fills, the more it's worth going for."

He was basically telling her to consider and think about what was really important to her, and which way she should really go, which was already too much pressure just to think about.

Suddenly, someone slammed their glass down right beside her, making her jump.

"TK…?"

She looked up at him, and he looked very cross. He had been sitting in the pub and heard the entire conversation between her and Liam about Davis.

"TK, It's not what you think."

"You know what, Kari, from what I just heard, I think it's precisely what I think.

I think that you're getting sweet on Davis.

I think that you would prefer him to me.

Why the hell else would you have gone after him at his cabin at the lake?"

"It's nothing like that. I just needed to clear up some things with him. I needed to know why he went to such dangerous lengths to save me."

TK didn't seem so convinced, so he asked, "And how do you feel about him?"

She frowned her face taking on a thoughtful look. "Well, he's my friend. I care about him, of course, but…"

Her boyfriend looked madder than ever. "When you decide you want to tell me the truth, you know where I'll be."

He stormed out of the bar. Kari leapt off her stool and ran after him. She caught up with him outside the front of the bar. He stopped and looked at her angrily.

"TK." she paused. "I was lying. I don't know how I feel about Davis. But I do know one thing, I love you. I won't ever lie about that.

Davis said he that he didn't want to be around me. It upset me a bit, and I haven't been thinking well.

I'm sorry."

He smiled down at her.

"I'm sorry too. I blew my top too quickly. Anyway, it's Davis's loss, not mine."

He kissed her. She didn't break away, and embraced him deeply, to show him that truly loved him, and yet…

…For some strange reason, it didn't feel as light or as warming as it once felt.

* * *

Davis looked around his apartment, which only just around the street from the pub, which made it convenient for him to make it work every day.

It was late at night, and he had soccer practice tomorrow, and he couldn't wait to finally get back on the field for his first game after so long.

…But he couldn't sleep. His thoughts kept turning to Kari. Then again he knew it would start out like this- the first night was always the roughest and having to deal with the feelings of sadness and the people and things he was leaving behind to keep out of Kari's life so as not to hurt her anymore.

There was a knock at the door. He opened it to find Liam standing there.

"Can I come in?"

Davis nodded, and stood aside to let him pass. Liam sat in one of the armchairs, and looked up at him.

"Kari and TK were in the pub," he said with a serious expression on his face "You really opened a bad bottle of wine here, Davis. They had a small bicker, but luckily they patched it up quickly."

Davis slumped into the chair opposite his boss and friend.

"That was what I was trying to avoid. I wanted to, but she came to seem me just as I was leaving. I'm trying to keep out of her life, Liam."

Liam shook his head, "You told her you loved her. What were you thinkin', lad?"

"It just slipped out. Besides, she already knew, she milked it out of me the night I saw her in the hospital. I didn't want her to know. I didn't even intend to talk to her, but I promised Jun that I would.

All I want to do now is keep as far from her as I can. As long as she's happy, she'll be fine, and I know she is, with him."

Liam stood and patted on the back.

"Well, at least you have good intentions. I can't hold that against ya."

He got up to leave.

"Liam?"

The Irishman turned back to him.

"Do you think I did the right thing?"

Liam only shook his head and said, "I don't think I'm the right person you should askin' that to."

Davis felt most upset, more with himself.

"What have I done?"

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Liam's **_**_philosophy was based on my own, and how I decide of things._**

**_What kind of day did you have, "Good" or "Bad" (It was one or the other, not both)_**

**_So you don't get to go "Apart from this or that happening, I had a good/bad day" no more of that. It's all one or the other._**

_**So, I treat life like a BALANCING SCALE. One side is good, one side is bad. Whatever happened to you, good or bad, put a little weight on that end of the scale, and in the end, the scale only tips ONE WAY (One side outweighing the other)**_

_**It may seem Black and White, but it is the best way I know when faced with a two-way decision, and you can choose only one way.**_


	7. Fist full of Nerves

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

A few weeks had past, and summer would soon be over, which meant kids and teens would be heading back to school, and some of the Digi Destined were planning to head to college, even Kari who was studying to be a vet.

Though she originally said she wanted to be a Pre-School teacher, she found that her love for animals and wanting to help them was stronger.

These days, it was hard for her to study.

She had been trying her very best to let go and move on, but she couldn't Davis out of her mind.

Davis had kept good on his word and kept well away from her.

Whenever she would see him walking down the street, he would catch one glimpse of her, and then immediately turn away and go back from whence he came to avoid her.

Even when she went to Liam's pub, Davis refused to come out from the back rooms, much to Liam's own disappointment.

Kari came home one night, feeling very upset, and Jun and Tai were there discussing wedding plans, and they both did not seem pleased with anything that had happened over the past weeks.

"Kari, you need to stop beating yourself up like this." said Tai.

"Tell that to my brain and my heart." said Kari, and then she realized what she had said, "I mean my brain- just my brain!"

She slumped into her armchair and backed her head many times into the back.

"Kari, stop it, you'll get an aneurism." said Jun.

Kari didn't know how much more of this she could take. "Why does he still have to have feelings for me?" she asked aloud.

"Maybe feelings are feelings because we can't control them." answered Tai, and he looked back towards Jun, and smiled at him, but very softly.

"I still don't get it!" wailed Kari "Why can't Davis just find someone else to love? The door is wide open for him, and I'm sure there's a ton of girls out there who would love to be with him."

Jun came over and put her hand on Kari's shoulder, "Kari, some people just can't get over it as easy, especially when they feel so deeply infatuated."

"She's right," said Tai "Kari, Sora and I used to be close, remember?"

"How could I forget?" teased Kari "I would often tease you and say you two would get married someday."

Jun giggled at that, and Tai felt embarrassed, "The point is, we never even tried because we just didn't feel that way.

We were really good friends, and that's how we preferred it, and besides, Matt showed how much he really cared about Sora himself."

Jun remember that, which reminded her of how she used to crush on Matt. "When I knew he had feelings for Sora, and not me, it really hurt, but I knew there were other boys out there I could be with."

Then she looked up lovingly at Tai, "And I found one."

Tai smiled at her.

Kari thought this was lovely, "But what does this have to do with Davis?"

"We just told you," replied Jun "Some people can get better from heartbreak and problems like this… but there are some people who just can't."

Tai nodded, "I told Davis about there being plenty of fish in the sea."

"Well, there are." said Kari.

"But…!" he brother snapped, not wanting to be interrupted, "I also forgot something about that; the fisherman can choose to give up, pull in his line, and not bother trying again, as he only came out to catch that one fish he wanted so desperately."

Kari gawked at him with wide-eyes. She had never thought about it that way before.

"Think of it like this," said Jun "Suppose Davis actually did agree to go out with some other girl, while he still has deep feelings for you. It's just not right, and it wouldn't be fair to the girl."

They would be living a lie, and Kari hated dishonest people. It was all making more sense to her than ever, but this still didn't solve her deeply growing feelings inside, or her concern about Davis.

She was really starting to feel drawn to thinking about him more and more every moment, and she didn't know how to really feel about it.

Suddenly, she got a text from TK on her cell-phone, asking where she was and why she was so late for their date.

"My date!" cried Kari "I completely forgot!" and ran out the door like lightning, leaving Tai and Jun to sigh.

"Things just aren't going to get any better as long as she doesn't admit to herself." said Tai.

Jun agreed, and shook her head.

The next day,

Davis kicked the ball in front of him, trying to hook it over towards Ken.

He had picked up his old skill quickly after getting back into practice, but he was still a little shaky.

The ball flew through the air, and Ken caught it on his chest, bouncing it down in front of his own feet. Davis sprinted forward, past the opposing defenders, and nearer to the goal. Ken crossed the ball to him.

"Davis, Man on!" shouted one of his teammates. He moved to the left, and the defender who had been behind him slid through the mud past him. Just the goalie left now. He dribbled forward, tapped the ball lightly in front of him with his left foot, and swung his right forward in a heavy strike. The ball flew towards the left side of the goal.

The goalkeeper dived to intercept. For a long moment, Davis though he was going to stop it. The ball scraped past the goalie's fingers and hit the back of the net.

Final Score: 2-1.

Davis collapsed to his knees, and punched one fist into the air. His teammates crowded round him, lifting him up.

He didn't spot TK watching form the parking lot near the field, and he looked pretty upset.

* * *

Davis walked out of the changing rooms, a broad grin on his face. He was about to get into his brand new jeep, when he saw TK walk up to him.

"You looked good out there."

For once, Davis didn't try to walk away or avoid him, as if all the time he spent away gave him a chance to heal inside.

"It feels great to back in the game. Is there's something you want?"

TK nodded, "We need to talk."

"About what…?"

That's when TK roared and tackled him hard to the ground.

"What are you doing?!" he shouted.

TK just snarled, "I'm fed up with you messing with Kari! You're trying to steal her from me."

Davis managed to shove him off of him and got up.

"I'm not trying to steal her! She's the one who keeps coming to me! I moved away so I could keep away from her, and out of your lives. Don't get me involved again!"

"LIAR!" shouted TK and he lunged at Davis again, pushing him up against the car and socking him hard in the face, and then kicked his shins, and proceeded to beat him up badly.

Davis made no attempts to hit him back and continued to try and reason with him, but TK only continued to thrash him.

"Kari was late for our date last night, and it's your fault for messing with her head!

…LEAVE KARI ALONE!"

POW! He punched Davis hard in the gut, making him go down on the ground, and then TK proceeded to ram numerous kicks into him.

* * *

Yolei and Ken came walking to Yolei's car, when they saw the fight.

"Davis!" shouted Ken, and he and Yolei watched as Davis took another pound to the face by the insane man.

Ken dashed over and grabbed TK!

"Get off of him!"

TK only backhanded Ken in the face threatening him, "Keep out of this!"

"Ken!" cried Yolei, and she would have rushed over to kick TK to pieces, but then she saw Kari on her bike, pulling up to a corner by the parking lot.

"KARI!" she shouted so loud so Kari could hear over the engine and through her helmet, and she waved to her like crazy.

Kari looked up at her, and saw Yolei motion to TK and Davis in the parking lot, which made her gasp in shock.

She quickly steered her bike off the road and up the hill intot he parking lot and threw off her helmet to confront the boys.

TK punched Davis in the ribs, and Davis managed to find a little strength to shove him off, but still made no attempt to hit back.

Davis stood again, shakily this time. His soccer uniform was tattered, and his face was badly bruised and he had a few cuts on the side of his face.

"I'm not going to fight you TK. I don't have a reason to." His bruised jaw ached as he spoke.

TK spoke angrily. "You're trying to steal my girl, you're messing with our lives, and you say that you've got no reason to fight?!

You're a freaking retard- more pathetic than I ever gave you credit for!"

He prepared to tackle him again, before he could hit, Kari grabbed hold of his arm.

TK thought it was Ken or Yolei trying to stop him again. "I SAID PISS OFF!" He didn't realize what he was doing as he swung his other fist around; punching his girlfriend in the eye, and Kari went down on the ground next to Yolei who was cradling the unconscious Ken.

"Kari!" cried Yolei.

He saw what he had done to her, and was most horrified, but when he turned back to Davis, there was a difference in the other man's expression.

It was bad enough he had punched out Ken, who was only trying to help, but when TK's fist had connected, and Kari hit the ground, a surge of anger had rushed through him, subsiding a good deal of the pain he was in, and twisting his face into a snarl.

He marched right up to TK and grabbed him by the collar, lifting him up and off the ground, and as TK fuss and kicked about, Davis raised his other free hand and threw his first and only punch in the fight...

KAPOW! He whammed TK right in the nose, and sending the man flying up through the air and crashing hard on the pavement, unconscious.

Davis was panting furiously, which then faded into shock at what he had just done, and the pain from his wounds began to return.

He was more concerned with Kari than himself, or even Ken for that.

"Are you okay?" he asked through his swollen mouth. But Kari stood up, holding her eye, and shouted angrily "Why did you hit him!?"

Davis recoiled as if he had come face to face with a cobra. "He... he hit you," and just as he was about to point out that Ken got hit too, Kari balked at him "He didn't mean to! You didn't have to punch him out!"

Davis's features hardened, and he grabbed her by the collar making her scream in fright as he looked ready to punch her too, but he didn't.

"You're not worth it!" and he let her go, dropping her hard onto the pavement, and he walked back to his jeep shouting, "The next time you get hit, Kari… YOU CAN FIGHT FOR YOURSELF!"

He got in and the tires screeched as he drove off in such an angry huff.

Yolei placed Ken down, and then marched straight up to Kari, and slapped her hard across the cheek. "What is your problem?!" she shouted.

"He punched out my boyfriend!" protested Kari.

"Only after "your boyfriend" had done him some injuries and punched out MY boyfriend!" she motioned at Ken, making Kari gasp. She hadn't seen Ken in all the commotion and didn't know he got hurt too.

Yolei continued to scold Kari with such vile temperament. "Kari, he only hit TK to protect you, otherwise he would have just stood there and taken it, he wasn't even shouting! If we hadn't come around the corner he would probably have been unconscious by the time we got here.

And all you could do was shout at him like that?! You really are nothing but trouble!"

Kari's face dropped into shock. Then she snapped her head up. "I've got to go find him." But Yolei grabbed her "Not right now! We need to get you some ice for that eye, and some help for TK and Ken.

The last thing I'm sure Davis needs right now is to see you. Just let him cool off awhile."

Kari reluctantly agreed.

* * *

When Davis got back home, he was surprised to see Jun there waiting for him. Yolei had called Tai and informed him what happened and told him to send Jun over to Davis' place.

Jun nearly fell into a panic when she saw how dirty and beaten up her brother looked confirming what she had been told about him and TK.

The second they got into his new apartment, she got straight to work with the first aid kit she had brought with her, and began to dab his wounds.

"Ow!" he groaned "Easy, Jun!"

"Stop struggling!" she sneered at him "It'll only hurt even more."

She continued to skillfully treat his wounds, and she was completely livid with TK and how he just attacked him like this, and she also couldn't believe Kari when Davis told her how she yelled at him.

"Is she alright?" Davis asked.

Jun was surprised he had asked that, when just ten minutes ago he had told Kari off.

* * *

Kari was at home with an ice bag over her swollen eye.

"I can't believe TK did that to you!" said Gatomon "And I can't believe he punched out Ken too."

Kari spent more time regretting how she yelled at Davis rather than how much pain she was in.

Tai came back, "I just got off the phone with Mrs. Takashi."

"Is TK alright?" Kari asked.

"He's nose is swollen, it'll be okay, but he's been grounded for a month. He's not allowed to leave home, call you or any of his friends. He's had his phone confiscated."

Kari clenched her fist- in anger, or was it pain? Maybe it was both.

Ever since last night, TK had been fuming at her for being late, and her able to jump the gun and know she had been thinking about Davis again.

He left the restaurant in a huff last night, which worried Kari something like this would happen.

"I should've told him not to." she groaned.

"Would it have stopped him?" Tai asked "TK really sank low this time, Kari. He had no right to attack Davis like that.

You're just lucky I wasn't there. If I had seen TK hit you, I would've punched him out myself."

Kari lowered her ice bag and gawked at him with shock, ready to yell at him too, but she remembered, and supposed she would understand.

"What am I going to do?" she asked sadly. "Davis really hates my guts He'll never want to speak to me again.

How do I keep messing things up so badly?"

Tai held his head and shook it. Was there no end to this repeating spiral of confusion and painful feelings? But all he could suggest was Kari leave Davis be for a while, just as Yolei suggested, and let him cool off.

* * *

_**Author's notes:**_

_**Kari can really be a selfish brat sometimes, especially when it comes to Davis- constantly flirting with TK for the soul-purpose of making Davis jealous (She even admits this on the Digimon Movie) and teasing him just to make him do what she wants him to do.**_

_**Davis may have the Digi-Egg of Friendship, and he may know what it means to be a friend, but that doesn't mean he has to be THE ONLY FRIEND. He can't do all the work himself.**_

_**Sometimes I feel Kari and the others are really NOT Davis' true friends (They are unworthy of him) because as Mr. Rogers once said "Real friends never make fun of real friends." (And it's never cool to toy with someone's emotions)**_


	8. Chances of a lifetime

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

For a whole week, Davis remained as distant with Kari as he could; especially while he let his wounds heal.

When he had moved to his new apartment, he had blocked her cell-phone number so she couldn't call him, and he blocked her from emailing him as well, on both the internet and his D-Terminal.

Whenever he had to go out, he would look carefully around to make sure she was nowhere to be seen.

This made going to work extremely difficult, as she knew he would be there, and he didn't bother to ask Liam to reassign his hours, or restrict him to working in the kitchen.

He had told Liam about what had happened, and Liam was shocked and outraged at TK too, but he refused to play along and cover Davis this time.

"You'll have to face her sooner or later, Davis." he said to him "I understand you're upset, but don't go gettin' me involved in this again."

Davis sighed, but luckily for him, Kari never came into the pub, nor did he see her anywhere he went.

* * *

Kari was miserable.

She had been told not just by her brother, but even by her own mother when she came home to stay away from Davis, especially after she found out what happened.

She told her to give him time, and the she had a lot of thinking to do about her other situation!

She spent a lot of time in her room lately, not even calling TK to ask how he was doing or if his nose was better.

She got a few emails from Yolei asking if she alright.

Her eye had healed from when TK punched her, but her head still ached with all the confusion and thoughts in her mind.

She knew both Davis and TK were hurt, and she felt really upset with herself for yelling at Davis when he punched TK out.

He really deserved it, now that she thought long and hard.

"What am I going to do?" she kept asking herself "I can't stop thinking about Davis. I mean, sure I was worried about him, and I kept trying to talk to him, and now I upset him deeply when he was already upset with me!"

She fell down onto her bed and buried her face in her pillow.

Even with her eyes fully buried, she could see images flashing before her, and a song was playing- **_"I do it for you."_**

All the times Davis was nice to her, tried to be a big man just to impress her, how he would risk his life and keep on fighting when everyone else had given up hope, and would lead them to victory.

His best moment was during the battles of Maylo-Myotismon when he saved everyone from the illusions, and inspired children and everyone else to follow their dreams.

She wanted to be a pre-school teacher, and then changed that, now wanting to be a vet.

He really had changed a lot since then, like most people do as they get older. He acted less obnoxious and egotistical and was now more sensitive and understanding.

What really showed this off was how he was keeping his feelings for her secret, fearing they would cause her this much trouble and not wanting that for her.

Tai even told her what he had told him that night at the dance, before he had his accident.

_"As long as she's happy, I won't do a thing."_

She even remembered what he accidently said the night he moved out.

_"Well, what is the right way- Staying here, getting more and more upset because I see the woman I love in the arms of another man?"_

He really did love her, the way he was trying to give her space, trying to accept all the while she was with TK, even if it meant extreme unhappiness for him, and yet, he was doing it for her.

The last images were of Davis and the living smile he would always give her these days, even though he knew he couldn't have her.

Kari rested her chin on her pillow and sighed heavenly, only then to snap to her sense and realize…

"Oh, my, gosh!" she held her heart which was beating very hard, and all the denial in the world wouldn't hide the truth now.

Kari began to cry softly and clutched her pillow to her face to muffle her sobs.

Still, Tai could hear her, or rather it was his brotherly link with her that told him something was wrong, and he knocked at her door.

"Kari, can I come in?"

Much he should have waited, when his sister didn't answer and he could hear her muffled sobs, he walked right in.

"Kari, what is it?"

Gatomon came into the bedroom when she saw Tai go in, "What's wrong?"

Kari didn't even look up, but she said through his pillow, "Davis."

Tai heard her loud and clear, and he didn't have to ask to tell- she finally realized the truth about her own feelings.

Gatomon was very surprised. "I can't believe it!"

Tai sat next to his sister on the bed and held her close.

"What am I going to do?" Kari sobbed "What if he still hates me? How can I tell him, and what about TK?"

Tai could really see she was in a spot, and he told her all he could possibly think so.

"You have to do what's right, Kari; and most importantly: you need to tell him."

Gatomon nodded, agreed with Tai.

Kari wiped away her tears, and she knew they were both right, but she knew this wasn't going to be easy, and she thought she would just as well start with the simplest of tasks.

She phoned TK.

* * *

One afternoon, a few days later,

Davis was walking home from work.

He let out a big yawn, not really from being tired, but rather how dull and dry his life had gotten from his restraining from his friends.

"Gee, I could sure use a little excitement." he said to himself

As he walked to his apartment, he found a man waiting outside at the front doors.

"You there," he said to Davis "Are you Davis Motomiya?"

"Yes, and you are?"

The man walked up to him and held out his card.

Davis took just one look at it and he nearly gasped in complete shock. "You're a representative of the Japanese Football Society?"

The man nodded and shook his hand, "The name's John Tanner.

I've heard great deal about you, not just as Digi Destined, but for your impressive soccer skills.

I stopped by the pub a few minutes after you had left, and your boss told me I could find you here.

So, I'll come straight to the point…

…We would like to offer you a place for our All-Star team of players under 21."

Davis's eyes widened. JFS was the biggest soccer teams in the country, owned by an American company, and sponsored by the Varsity Pro-League Board.

"I think you should come in." he said to John.

He opened the door, and they moved to the sitting room.

Veemon woke up from sleeping on the couch.

"Davis? What's going on?"

Davis was too excited to answer as he and John sat down in the living room.

"Anyway, Mr. Motomiya..."

"Davis, please."

The man opposite nodded.

"Davis… We are prepared to offer you a long-term contract, but we would like you to come down to the society and have a look around before you sign anything.

What are you doing tomorrow?"

Davis was startled by the swiftness of the proceedings. He murmured that he was free tomorrow.

"Great!" said John "Then it's all settled."

Davis gave him his cell-phone number and email address to keep well in contact, and then showed John out.

Then he went and picked up the phone, and called Liam's pub.

"Liam's Irish Pub- Can I help you?"

"Liam, it's me."

"Davis! What are you doing calling me now? You just got off shift."

"I need to book a table for a meal, Tonight."

"Sakes man, what's the rush?"

"I'll tell you in an hour. I've got some other calls to make."

"Are you going to be invitin' all your friends?"

"Oh, yes… and that does include Kari."

"Then I'll put you up in the conference room. It'll save me time."

"Thanks Liam. See you in an hour"

He hung up and started dialling his friends. Within half an hour they had all been invited- all but three people.

He held his finger over the phone, ready to dial Kari's number, and yet even after all this time he still didn't really know if it was safe or a good idea to talk to her after what happened.

He called Tai instead.

He picked up almost immediately.

"Hello?"

"It's Davis."

"Hey man. It's been a while."

Davis hung his head a little low.

"I also know of what you did with TK, but I don't hold it over you. I know he started it and everything."

He also told him that TK was grounded and at home, not allowed to leave.

Davis couldn't help but feel bad for him, especially because it meant he wouldn't be able to attend the party he was planning.

"Kari's here if you want to talk to her." said Tai "She's wanted to talk with you for a while."

Davis blinked once, but he quickly snapped himself to his sense, "No, I just wanted to invite you all to dinner at Liam's tonight, TK too, if his mom will let him. I insist he come.

Say around eight?"

Tai was astounded. "TK's actually invited? That's so shocking I may faint.

We'll be there."

Davis hung up, and he could barely contain his exictment.

"What's going on?" asked Veemon.

Davis decided to talk to him that night at the dinner.

* * *

The meal was excellent. Liam had cooked it himself, and even went as far as to leave the bar in the hands of the staff whilst he joined them.

Everyone had come, even TK, though his mom was with him to make sure he stayed out of trouble.

His own mother was there too, as well as his sister.

Matt, Sora, Mimi, Joe, and even Izzy had all taken time off of college to come to the party that night, and naturally, Ken, Yolei and Cody had come too.

After they had eaten, Davis stood up.

"I called the dinner here, because I have an announcement to make."

Everyone quieted down.

"I've been offered a job with JFS. I'm going to take a look around tomorrow. If I like item I can sign the contract while I'm there. I think I'll like it."

Everyone was silent. Their mouths open in shock at his statement. Then they all erupted into congratulations, even TK.

Liam grabbed him in a crushing bear hug. When he drew back, there were tears in his eyes. "I'll have to get a new barman now, you daft bugger. Thanks a lot!"

Davis chuckled "Just keep the place warm for me, it's not forever. It's just a temporary thing."

Tai gave Davis a noogie, "The JFS, huh? I'm dying of jealousy."

"Gosh," said Ken "After all these years, you're really going to be a pro-player!"

"Awesome!" added Yolei.

Cody smiled and nodded at him, "Congratulations, Davis. You've really earned this."

TK didn't know what to say but he did smile proudly and nod at him.

He actually smiled and nodded back at him.

Jun and her mom were blubbering like babies.

"My baby, the soccer-star…! If only your father could see this now."

Davis and Jun both felt bad, and everyone held a moment of silence for the Motomiyas.

Then Davis' eyes met with Kari's, and Liam decided to give them some time together, so he cleared his throat and addressed everyone else. "Drinks in the bar everyone!"

Everyone bundled out, talking, leaving Davis and Kari alone.

TK took a moment to look at the two, and he nodded strangely.

There was an extremely pregnant silence. Kari made the first move.

"I'm sorry Davis."

He looked startled.

"…For what?"

"For shouting at you when- you know.

You were only trying to help me. I shouldn't have blown off like that."

He nodded softly.

"If it makes it any better I'm sorry I punched TK out. I couldn't help it." He looked thoughtful.

They both just looked at each other seriously.

"Davis..."

"Yeah…?"

Kari paused. Her inner voice was talking to her.

_"Go on! Tell him."_

She tried to find her courage to say it, but it came out, "TK and I… we broke up."

His eyes widened, "You what?"

She nodded sadly, "We both did a lot of thinking. We figured it was for the best."

He was still shocked to hear this. "Is he okay with this?"

"Yeah, but it was pretty hard on both of us."

Another moment of silence followed, and Davis still couldn't believe this.

Deep down, a part of him thought this was what he had been waiting for- his big chance- but he ignored the feeling. _"This isn't right." _he thought _"What, I'm just supposed to move in on her like that?"_

They walked through into the bar together.

"When are you leaving tomorrow?" Kari asked.

"Ten AM." he answered "I'm going by limousine with the club agent. You guys going to come see me off?"

Tai, Ken, and Yolei detached themselves from the crowd.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world." answered Tai.

* * *

The next morning at Ten…

Davis breathed in the cool morning air, sucking it into his lungs like he'd just got out of the water.

The coach and his soccer stood behind him, all wearing their uniforms.

Veemon stood beside him, and his friends stood in front of him.

The entire gang was there- except for Kari who was late coming.

Liam and Jun and her mom had already said their goodbyes, before going off to their respective jobs, but Davis still had his friends to see…

…Friends with whom he had shared one of the most unique experiences in the world.

He hadn't ever been as nervous when they went to the digital world as he was now.

There were hugs and handshakes given, and some of the others wished him well.

Mimi felt like crying, because to her it was like watching a little boy become a man and leaving for college.

"Typical Mimi." the others would all joke.

Then it came to TK.

The two men stood at opposite ends, feeling nervous being this near each other since the fight, but finally TK broke the silence. "I'm really sorry, Davis- sorry for what I did. You really weren't trying to steal her from me." He held out his hand, "Can you ever forgive me?"

Davis didn't even hesitate and shook his hand, much to TK's surprise.

The others all felt their hearts melting, especially Ken, but everyone and even himself remembered how quickly he forgave Ken for his evil ways- a million times worse than some petty fight- and was willing to befriend him and give him a chance.

"I'm really sorry you broke up." he said to TK.

The other man held up his hand "It's hard now, I'm still getting over it, but… well, I guess it was the right thing."

He then patted his shoulder "Go for it, man."

Davis felt that feeling again, but silenced it once more feeling this was not the right way to do it, not now.

Then suddenly, a familiar motorbike pulled up along the side of the street, and Kari pulled off her helmet.

The entire crowd went silent.

She slowly hopped off her bike, but then just stood beside, away from the rest of them.

A hush fell over the crowd, and they watched as the two just stared at each other from afar. Everyone was well-aware of the situation by now from the looks of it.

Some of them even decided to leave, they had to get to work anyway, and Cody had to get back to school, and give the two some space.

Only Tai, TK, Yolei and Ken were left.

Davis slowly approached Kari. His heart was racing fast now, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of John who motioned at his watch telling him to hurry.

Finally, he was standing right in front of her, and looking deeply into her eyes, and the way she was staring at him brought on those feelings again, and there much harder to supress this time.

Kari felt so awkward and nervous. Her inner voice was arguing with her again.

_"What are you doing?! Just tell him already!"_

_"No! I can't! I'm too nervous!"_

_"Idiot! He's leaving in a couple of minutes, and you may never get your chance!"_

"I've got a gift for you." Davis said and, he pressed a small box into her hand, leaving it there. "I want you to look after these while I'm away."

She didn't question what it was.

"Davis, I..."

Giving into a small part of his blossoming feelings, he pressed his finger against her lips, stopping her speaking.

She just looked at him, tears forming in her eyes, and in his.

He leaned forward suddenly, and kissed her on the cheek, just as she had pecked him that night in the hospital.

The warmth seared through her chilled skin. She felt she was going to cry.

Then he stepped away from her, towards John and climbed into the limo, but he stopped to look back at her one last time, and a tear fell from his eye.

John could see what was happening here.

Nonetheless, he and Davis climbed in, and the car started to drive down the road, disappearing out of sight, but Kari didn't stop looking at it until it was completely gone.

Her tears were falling in earnest now, splashing against the pavement, staining her leather jacket.

She then opened the box in her hands. Inside, on a piece of foam padding was a pair of goggles- the same pair that Tai had given Davis after they had met for the first time.

She fell to her knees, buried her face in her hands, and cried.

The other felt their hearts aching to see Kari sobbing.

Yolei felt like crying herself.

Ten minutes later, after Kari had a good cry, Tai and TK finally walked up her. They looked at each other, and then TK spoke.

"Kari?" he said gingerly. She didn't respond.

Tai moved forward and lifted his sister's chin. Her eyes were still downcast and soggy.

"Kari, I'm only going to say this once, so listen carefully.

Get on that bike, and ride after that limo as fast as you can, and you tell Davis that you love him!

It can't have gone far, even if it has, that doesn't matter. You go and get him before he slips out of your life forever."

Kari looked up at him.

"But this is his dream; he's going to be a big soccer star like he always wanted."

Tai spoke angrily. "That's just one of his dreams. His biggest dream of all is to be with you. Can't you see that?"

Her head snapped up.

"Go after him, before it's too late!"

Kari looked over at her Ex-boyfriend.

"TK..."

The blonde man smiled.

"Do as he says, Kari. I couldn't stop you even if I wanted to."

Kari didn't reply, she turned and ran towards the parking lot doors, the goggles still in one hand, while she tried to put her helmet on with the other.

TK and Tai watched her go. Kari's brother spoke first.

"You did the right thing TK."

"To use Davis's line- "As long as she's happy."

Yolei and Ken felt proud of TK.

"Do you think she'll make it?" asked Ken.

Yolei looked down the road, "I don't think there's anything out there that can stop this kind of love from happening."


	9. I will follow him

**CHAPTER NINE**

Kari tore down the streets on her bike, smoke coming from the tires, following the trail of the limousine. Her tears were blurring her vision under her helmet, and she couldn't wipe them away.

She had a new determination now, a new goal- Davis!

She had to find him! She had to tell him how she felt, before it was too late.

She skidded round a corner; the bike's back wheel sliding out behind her. Flashing down the street, she checked the roads leading off to the sides, searching for the distinctive color scheme of the JFS limo.

Flying down the road, her bike's fittings appeared to be just one small silver blur in a mess of black.

Then, she could see it…! The limo coach was ahead of her, stopped at a red light near the road leading out of town.

She knew that street; it was a two mile long road.

She turned to chase the limo just as the light turned green and it started off.

She revved the engine!

She narrowed her eyes squarely upon her target, and powered forward. Skirting round the cars, she closed the distance easily. She sped up, and about halfway down the two-mile stretch, the limo came to another set of traffic lights that allowed the crossroad to go through.

Kari felt relief rush through her. She knew she would catch up now.

She revved her engine again, and sped forward.

That's when the sound of a wailing siren started up behind her- the siren of a police cruiser.

Kari looked around, her eyes widening in horror. The cop in the passenger seat pointed twice towards the side of the road in an unmistakable gesture.

"No!" she groaned softly "Not now! This can't happen!"

Worse than that, the limo passed through the road at the green light, and got further and further away, and out of sight.

The cop signaled for Kari to pull over again, and she had no choice but to comply.

She twisted the handlebars over towards the left, and pulled over to the side of the street. The cruiser pulled in behind her.

The cops got out of their vehicle- one man and one woman- and walked over to her as she pulled off her helmet, her hair falling around her shoulders. If the cops recognised her, they gave no sign of it.

"Do you have any idea of the speed you were driving at, young lady?" asked the woman cop.

Kari shook her head.

"I thought not." and she began to write up a ticket for Kari, and her partner began to notice Kari seemed a little antsy and kept looking up the street.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

Finally, Kari confessed about the limo, about Davis, and how she felt, which made the two cops on the spot, and the lady stopped writing.

"If I don't catch that limo soon, he'll be out of my life forever." Kari cried.

The lady cop then stared down blankly at the incomplete ticket she had written.

Her partner then got a good look at Kari, "Hey, I know you, you're one of those Digi Destined kids."

Kari nodded.

"You kids sure did us a heap of a service." he looked at his partner, even though she knew it was against procedure and could get himself and his partner in trouble.

"I say we let her go."

Realizing who Kari was, melted by her story, and seeing the edginess in her eyes- the story was true- she sighed "I hope I'm not going to regret this." And she stowed the ticket away in her jacket. "Go, catch up with him before it's too late, just don't speed so much anymore. You can't break the law."

Kari was shocked, "But what if-"

The lady blew her whistle at Kari frightening her to her senses, and she donned her helmet and took off on her bike down the road.

The two cops watched as she sped off, standing side-by-side, and holding hands- they were actually a married couple, and they understood what Kari was feeling despite their obligations to their jobs.

"Reminds me of us when we met." the wife said to the husband.

"Yeah, you pulled me off the road just to talk to me, and you threatened to arrest me if I didn't ask you out."

His wife smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

Unfortunately, because of the duo's interfering, Kari had a hard time trying to track down the limo. It had gone too far ahead to tell which way it had gone, but she wasn't going to give up now.

The bike roared under her, and she sped down the road, keeping under the limit this time.

She came to a fork in the road, and looked back and forth between the two different roads. She had to pick one and try it, and so she turned right

…Which was the wrong way as the limo had taken the left road.

* * *

Veemon was snoozing on the cushy seats, while Davis was looking downhearted, as he had been since the journey started.

"Davis?" asked John.

He looked up.

"Was that your girlfriend?"

Davis' eyes snapped open, "Oh, no… no, no, no. She isn't."

The older man's eyes narrowed, "But you wanted it to be, didn't you."

Davis couldn't hide anything from anyone these days, especially not from himself anymore.

"I'm starting to feel like I made the wrong choice. I should have properly taken the time to tell her how I feel. I mean, I just blurted it out once, but..."

"Davis?"

The younger man glanced at him.

"If I know anything about being in love, and I'm still in love with my wife after 12 years of marriage.

As for you and her…"

"Kari."

"Right…

Well, she didn't need to be told. Some things don't need to be said to be understood. I think she knows perfectly well how you feel, so don't worry."

Davis lowered his head. Then spoke sadly, "I still should've told her. It would've helped."

* * *

Kari carried on riding down the opposite hand fork of the road, and when she could find no sign of the limo anywhere, she pulled over off the road, sat down next to her bike and burst into tears.

"I've lost him!" she sobbed "I lost him!"

Eventually, she managed to find a little strength to ride back home.

Tai opened the door of their apartment.

"Kari?"

He had never seen her so frazzled, and so pale looking before, and her eyes—her red-eyes form obvious crying told him enough.

"Oh, Kari…!"

He held his sister tightly, letting her cry.

Gatomon peeked around from the living room corner, and her head hung low.

* * *

Davis had spent weeks training with his new team, and he would call his family, and send emails to the others, including Kari.

He always looked forward to her answers.

_"I'm so proud of you, Davis."_

_"Make the team and the country proud."_

Unfortunately, neither one of them was willing to say those magic words. It didn't feel right to do it over the internet.

They both decided enough was enough, and the next time they saw each other they would say it, no ifs, ands, buts, or fears.

Two months later,

The autumn winds were blowing about, and the leaves were falling off trees. Kids and teens had been back at school for two months now.

It was a couple of hours before the first Match of the Youth season; and Davis' team felt ready after weeks, and weeks of training.

Davis himself, the new team captain, was really looking forward to this. All his years of hard practice and waiting were about to pay off, even if he and his team wouldn't win the game, it was still such an honor and privilege to be on a high class soccer team as this.

All his teammates felt the same.

They were all young men about his age from other countries, including Andy McNamara from Scottland.

"Ah! It's bloody freezing out there." he said "And I thought comin' to Japan would be a tad warmer."

Davis chuckled, "Just wait until the game starts. Then we'll all get warmed up."

Andy grinned and nodded.

Later, as the boys all dressed in their official JFS uniforms, with a "JFC" logo on it, John came in and brought the bad news.

"We're down one man." he said to Davis.

"You're kidding me."

"Nope. Joe Blesky- our Polish player- got the flu this morning."

Davis sighed.

"What about the substitutes? We can bump one of them up can't we?"

John shook his head. "The sub's bus has broken down. We're stuck with ten men. So you if you know anywhere we can get a replacement striker, please tell me!"

Davis smiled, an idea hitting him. "I think I know just the guy."

Ken and cell-phone's both rang.

"Hello?"

"Ken!"

"Davis?" exclaimed Ken "How are you, I was just getting ready to watch the game on TV."

"Never mind watching it." said Davis "How would you like to be IN it?"

He told him of the team's situation, and how John was allowing him to appoint a substitute.

Ken's eyes bulged, "Me…?!Play for the JFS?!"

"So are you guys in or what?" asked Davis "If you say you will, John says he'll give free tickets to the gang so they can come and watch the game in person."

Ken didn't have to think twice, "You got it, man!"

Davis smiled over the phone and gave John a thumb up, and John went off to arrange for quick transport for the new stand-ins and friends bound to be coming.


	10. I believe in you

**CHAPTER TEN**

Ken called as many of the gang as they could, but not everyone could come due to being too busy to just excuse themselves that day, in spite of the excitement, but they promised to at least watch on TV, or listen to the radio broadcast.

Still, some managed to make it- Tai, Jun, Kari, Yolei for sure, and even TK had come, to be there for his friends.

The three Digi Destined, and Jun all stood on the terraces of stadium. All of them were dressed in their JFS jackets or sweaters due to the cool autumn breeze.

Kari looked sideways at Yolei, "This so awesome!"

Yolei nodded, "I can't believe my boyfriend is actually in a match this huge."

"Speak for yourself." said Jun "I'm supposed to be with my fiancé to discuss plans for our wedding, and he blows me off so he can compete with my brother in a soccer match this big?"

"Jun!" snapped Tai "This is a huge milestone for Davis, and Ken too."

"I know that, I'm just way overly excited."

Cheers suddenly erupted around the stadium as the players jogged out of the tunnel and onto the field.

An announcer boomed from the callbox overhead. "WELCOME TO THE FIRST MATCH OF THE JAPAN YOUTH PREMIERSHIP!"

The crowds cheered even more wildly.

On This beautiful day, we are going to watch Japanese Football Society youth team against the Tokyo Tornados!"

Kari and Yolei joined in the cheers; their voices were rising with the rest.

The announcer rattled through the names of the Tornados, then moved on to JFS.

"In goal we have: Andy McNamara!"

Cheers greeted the name.

The announcer went through the rest of the team, and the crowds cheering escalated.

"And next we have some home-grown talent! An emergency substitution, but we aren't complaining…

…In his first JFS match, Kenyato Ichijochi!"

Yolei cheered so loud you'd think she'd lose her voice.

Ken looked up and saw her, and he smiled brightly at her as he joined his teammates.

"Finally, in his debut match for JFS, The new Youth Captain, Big it up for DAISUKE MOTOMIYA!"

The young man ran out to catch up to his teammates. The crowds cheered the loudest ever.

Jun threw hew pompons up high called out, "That's my little bro out there!"

"Go Davis!" TK and Tai shouted.

Yolei jumped for joy, but Kari just looked at him as he ran towards the other boys, and watched him high-five with them, especially with Ken.

Her smile widened as she saw him being praised by his teammates and the crowds. She felt so proud of him, and at the same so happy just to see him, even if he was far down below and away.

He looked over towards the crowds, and actually spotted her almost at once, and their eyes met, and he smiled softly at her, and he waved to her, and she nodded at him.

TK could see the magic between them, and he knew more in his own heart that what they had was real.

Davis' team members huddled together, ready to listen to their captain's words."

"I want us to play a defensive game for the first period. We can't risk any of our players being injured."

The team members were uneasy about this.

"You sure we should play defense?" asked Andy.

"Trust me," said Davis "I have another plan, but it will only work if we play defensive."

The players all looked back and forth between one another.

"I'm with you Davis." Ken said, and then he said to the other players "We have to trust him."

Soon all the players concurred, and then called "BREAK!" and took their positions for the game to start.

Davis and Ken jogged to the centre line. Neither spoke, the silent communication that went on between them was enough to tell each other the others thoughts.

Davis kicked the ball from the centre spot, and the game started.

The players went like crazy all across the field, kicking the ball all around and all over.

"KEN!" Davis shouted as he kicked the ball straight for him.

Ken leapt up and intercepted the ball with his chest, but as he landed on the ground, the ball was stolen by the other team, and headed straight for Andy and his goal post.

POW! The player kicked the ball, and Andy wasn't able to stop it!

"No!" Andy shouted.

The tornados cheered like crazy, along with a good deal of the crowds.

Score: 1-0

Davis then called a small Time Out to huddle his team together.

"Davis, what are you thinking?!" one of the players complained.

"Trust me, it's working." Davis said, "Now, for the rest of the period, we're just going to play Keep-Away. No matter what happens, keep the ball on their side of the field, but don't even try to go for the goal."

This time, even Ken was skeptical about Davis' plan.

"But what if we get the perfect opening?"

"Don't score!" Davis snapped "Trust me; I know what I'm doing."

The boys were still unsure of this, but they had to trust him.

The whistle blew, and the ball was kicked off.

Ken passed the ball to Davis, and Davis kicked it to another player. Then back and forth the ball was passed.

"What are they doing?" asked Yolei.

"They're just playing Keep-Away." said TK.

The patterns just seemed to keep going and going.

Many people in the crowd began to protest and chatter away as the clock kept winding down and Davis' team wasn't making any attempt to score.

Kari watched as the same routine just kept on going with great curiosity. She had seen Davis play many times, but never like this before.

Tai was the only one who could see through the strategy, "Pretty clever." he muttered.

Jun looked at him, "What do you mean?"

"Just watch, I think know what's going on."

Only seconds were left in the first period, and Davis and his team were still playing Keep-Away, but then, one of the players cracked under pressure, and headed for the goal post.

"No, don't!" shouted Davis, but the player already made a shot towards the goal, and it was caught by the goalie and tossed back to the Tornado's offense players, and with all the other players on the other side of the field, they scored easily.

Score: 2-0

The whistle blew, and the period was up!

The Tornados were huddling in a big group hug and cheering, while Davis' team was groaning and now unsure of themselves.

Davis was very annoyed with the insubordination from the other player who tried to score, and he would have scolded the daylights out of him had he not felt it wasn't that bad.

"The plan still worked." he declared.

"What plan?" asked Ken "We're down, 2-Nothing."

The other players were starting to protest to Davis' strategy as well, but Davis assured them, "Don't you get it? They're all tuckered out now because they've been trying so hard and playing all rough at the start.

Now we can unleash our strength and give it to them."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, after the rest period…

Up on the terraces, Kari saw a camera panning towards her.

She suddenly grabbed a large sheet of cardboard, which she had spotted earlier lying in the gangway. It had a large print of the JFS logo on one side, but the other was white.

Pulling a lipstick from her purse, she wrote four words on the white side.

When she had finished, the second period was ready to begin as the players resumed their potisions

The Tornados were still looking a little beat despite their trying to hide it.

They were about to make the kickoff, when Davis looked over at the crowd, right into Kari's eyes. He read the sign she was holding…

**_"I BELIEVE IN YOU!"_**

Davis felt a rush of energy flood over him. If Kari believed in him, then he was going to turn this match around just as he had planned.

"Let's go!" he called to his team.

The boys hollered, and they followed him into action!

Davis ran forward, heading towards the goal. Ken crossed the ball over to him, and Davis leapt into the air, flipping backwards in a perfect bicycle-kick.

His foot connected with the ball, and it flew like a bullet towards the goal. It scraped past the goalies fingers and slammed into the back of the net.

Score: 2-1.

A loud cheering erupted from the stadium. JFS was back on track.

Fifteen minutes later, a player had the ball at his feet, and sent it winging through the air towards Davis. He caught it on his chest, but the defenders were ready, and he didn't have a chance of getting past them, even with their fatigue.

Ken was already past them though. There was only one defender between him and the goal. Davis sent the ball lofting over the defenders heads towards his friend- too high!

It was going to go over Ken to the goalie, but as the ball sailed towards him, Ken suddenly leapt up into the air and, seemingly defying gravity, slammed his head against the ball's leather. It flew into the top corner of the goal, as the goalie leapt in the wrong direction.

Score: 2-2.

Davis saw the ref looking at his watch- bringing the whistle to his mouth, but as Ken landed, the Tornados' defender brought his leg around in a sweep that took Ken's feet out from under him.

"KEN!" cried Yolei "He tripped up my boyfriend! I demand justice!"

The others agreed with her, and the crowd began to boo the tripper.

The ref blew his whistle in one short breath!

He strode over to the tornado defender. Ken had landed badly, and his ankle felt sore under him. Davis ran over and helped him up.

"You okay?"

"It's not twisted or sprained, just sore. I'll be fine."

Davis shook his head. They looked up. The ref reached into his pocket and pulled out a red card.

The Tornados' defender walked off in shame.

"Check out where you're standing. It's not over yet."

Ken looked down. A white painted line marked the penalty box around the goal. He and Davis were firmly planted two yards in.

Then an announcement was heard, "Penalty Kick, JFS."

This was it! One shot left- one chance to win.

Ken looked up at his friend.

"It should be you, Davis. Make us proud."

The other man nodded. A couple of fellow players helped Ken over to the bench, as Davis turned back to the goal.

The ball was placed the ball on the penalty spot.

The crowd around Kari went completely silent. A huge intake of breath, drawn in, held.

Kari saw Davis falter, ready to take the shot, down on the pitch, the miniscule figure paused.

Kari stood up, drew in a deep breath, and cupping her hands around her mouth, shouted with all her heart.

"YOU CAN DO IT DAVIS! I BELIEVE IN YOU!"

Davis turned back and looked at her in the crowd.

Their eyes met.

"Come on, man!" Tai called.

"Go, bro!" added Jun.

TK and Yolei hollered and cheered for him too.

Ultimately, Davis only kept his eyes fixed on Kari, and even from the vast distance that separated them, he could feel something very strong emitting from her and hitting him squarely in the heart.

He felt his strength rush back into him, and drew back a couple of paces from the ball.

The leather missile flew through the air like a bullet, the Tornados goalie reached out to stop it...

The ball flew straight and true. The Tornados' goalie chipped it with his hands as it went past, it shifted course upwards, bounced off of the bottom of the crossbar, and hit the back of the net.

FINAL SCORE: 3-2.

The crowds went wild! Jun jumped into Tai's arms.

Yolei and TK hugged, but all Kari did was smile so happily, her eyes flooded with tears.

Davis collapsed to his knees, relief washing over him. He felt himself being picked up by his teammates.

* * *

As they got changed out of their gear, showered and were ready to go and celebrate, Ken hobbled over to Davis.

"There's a celebration dance tonight at the school. You want come along, as mine and Yolei's guest?"

Davis gave his friend a queer look, "Even as graduates we still have to go back to school?"

Ken chuckled at the idea too.

"I'll be there. I've have to watch you try and dance on that thing." he indicated Ken's sore.

"Trust me, I've had worse." said Ken "It'll be better by tonight."

John Tanner suddenly called from the door.

"Davis, there's someone here to see you. The rest of you, first round's on me."

A cheer came up from round the room, and the team went out the door. Davis grinned at their backs, and put his foot up on the bench to do his shoelace.

"Hello Davis."

He whipped around to the door in shock. Kari stood there, her blue clothes matching the ribbon that was in her hair. The same colour as JFS' strip.

"It's been a while, Kari." he said to her

Kari looked nervous. She held up her hand, Davis's goggles lay in her palm.

"I thought you might like these back..." but Davis shook his head.

"They're yours now. They were something to remember me by."

"I don't need these to remember you. I couldn't forget you if I wanted to."

Davis's brown head dipped down to his chest. He didn't look up as he spoke.

"Why are you here, Kari?" he asked.

"Because I wanted to know something."

"What's that?"

"Do you still love me Davis?"

There was a long pause. Neither of them moved. Finally Davis looked up.

"Yes, Kari. I will always love you; Now, Forever, and Always."

But still neither made a move towards each other. They stood at opposite ends of the room, like chess pieces prepared for battle.

Finally Kari spoke again.

"Then, do you think... we could give it a try?"

His head snapped upright, "What?" he asked with his face blushing like crazy.

He looked at her, and he could see the nervous expression on her face, and her cheeks were as red as his.

Her eyes pierced into his as she desperately waited for a response.

Davis really thought deeply about it. After all the pain, misery, and bad luck to happen to them, and here she was- the woman of his dreams asking him to really date her.

"Davis," she said ever so softly, snapping him out of his trance.

He looked at her and saw the tears in her eyes, making his own tears start to fall.

"… I love you, Davis."

Wow! Those words, those five simple words he had wanted to hear since only forever, striking him right in parts of his body he never knew he had, and it felt so warm, so comforting.

There was no more questioning it.

He softly approached her, and looked deeply into her eyes as a loving smile appeared on his face.

"Yes… Kari…" he said "We can try. I want to, as long as we promise one thing to each other."

She looked up at him, "What's that?"

He hesitated a moment and spoke very softly "From now on, no more secrets- we be openly honest with each other, about our feelings and our troubles."

Kari smiled as livingly as ever, and then before she knew it, Davis had leaned forward, softly pressing his lips against hers. She closed her eyes, wrapped her arms round his neck and the kiss grew deeper and more passionate.

The two had never felt like this before.

Davis felt as if he was floating on a warm cloud that made his body feel so light that the air could pass through him

Kari felt warm too, even warmer than she ever did with TK. She would never forget him, and all the times they had, but now she was here with her true love, and ready to start over again.

They finally separated, and looked at each other deeply.

"I'll see you at the dance?" he asked.

"I'll be there." she promised him while caressing his face.

Then she had to leave, and Davis kept watching as she walked through the door and stopped a moment to look back at him.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Then she was gone.

He stood squarely on the spot, as if he had forgotten how to walk. He felt so at ease, so warm and loving he just didn't want to move and disturb this warmth.

Ken came back, passing Kari on the way and telling by the heavenly look on her face, he walked right over to him and patted his back, "Way to go, Davis."

Davis could only sigh.


	11. Now, Forever, and Always

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

That night, it sure felt strange to be back in school after graduating, but it was a weekend, and the soccer team has booked the location, and the school staff was not only thrilled to have the JFS team celebrating their victory, but the fact Davis and Ken- two former students—were team members; they couldn't say No.

Kari sat on the sidelines in the hall, watching the other dancers, a drink in her hand, and waiting for Davis to show like he promised.

Her blue silk dress ran down her figure to the bottom of her legs, the colour of water, it seemed to shimmer as she moved, and you could almost imagine the hidden world of the ocean in the shiny material.

She stood at the side of the hall and watched Tai and Jun dance.

She remembered the last dance she came too. She was with TK then, and she could still remember the surroundings, the music, the company, Yolei and Ken- Ken drunk as a poet on payday.

Then there was her, then, boyfriend, who had seemed so perfect.

And finally, the lone figure, walking out of the room to the classrooms.

"Davis."

That was all just four months ago, a year after she and TK were dating and things seemed perfect. Even everyone else thought it was true love there.

But, that was all the past now.

Here she was, at this new dance, and waiting for her new boyfriend to greet her.

"Begging your pardon." someone said next to her.

She looked up and saw him smiling at her, and how handsome he looked in his new tuxedo.

She smiled lovingly at him.

"What's a lovely girl like you standing here all by yourself?"

"Oh, just waiting." she playfully answered "Waiting for my new boyfriend."

They said nothing after that and just gazed deeply into each other's eyes.

Their faces slowly moved in for a kiss…

"Hey, lovebirds…" Matt said, startling them.

The two looked up and saw him with Sora, and TK was with them too.

"…Nice to see you too." Davis playfully sneered at them.

Kari gave them a look too.

Sora and TK chuckled.

Matt shook Davis' hand, "Way to go dude."

Davis nodded, "You watched the game?"

"We all did," said Sora "When you guys won, Mimi fainted."

Matt chuckled "I'm not talking about the game, I'm talking about you and Kari, which I must admit, I am surprised."

Kari and Davis blushed and twiddled their fingers.

"Hey, come on," said TK "Look at them; they're a good match, and they're obviously crazy about each other."

The others were surprised to hear TK, of all people, saying that.

"But TK?" Sora said.

"No buts." TK said proudly "Kari and I had our time, and… well I'll never forget it, but you can't deny feelings, can you?

Like, look at you two? Everyone thought Sora would be with Tai, and look at him- there he is with Davis' sister, not to mention engaged to her."

The others didn't deny that, Matt still was rather impressed with Tai for being with the girl that used to stalk him, even though Jun herself had changed over the years.

Kari then stood and pecked TK on the cheek, "Thank you so much for understanding, TK."

He smiled at her, and then shook Davis' hand "If you need some tips, I'll be here for you."

The other man chuckled, "I'm sure I won't need it, but thanks."

Kari felt her heart melt seeing the two men really making up for their rivalry.

"Yo', Davis!" the DJ addressed him "As the new local hero, would you mind saying a few words?"

The team members, and everyone else in the joint applauded, pressuring him to take the stands, and Kari looked into his eyes and nodded.

Davis nodded back at her and headed over to the podium.

He whispered something to the DJ before taking the stand.

"Sure…" and he slipped a CD into the player "Let me know when you're ready."

Davis smiled thankfully, and then walked onto the stage, to the podium.

"And now," the DJ called to the people "Round of applause please for our new soccer hero, and former-student, Davis Motomiya!"

Davis walked out to the podium to the applause, and he waved to everyone.

Then he could see Kari through the crowd and their eyes met.

"First of all: It feels kind of weird to be in school again since graduation."

Everyone laughed at the joke.

"I know it hasn't been long, but it seems like a lifetime.

I was very thrilled to be part of the JFS, and even more proud to be on such a fine team of players all over the world."

The teammates all gave him a high-thumb.

"I'd like to say that everything that happened today was because of my team- mates, my friends, and my family. But there's also someone else here I'd like to thank.

…and I think you all know who that is, so I won't bother to say any names."

He really didn't have to, many of the people turned to face Kari- who really didn't know about her and Davis anyway?

She smiled, and he smiled back. In the dimmed lights he could see tears in her eyes.

"She and I have been through a lot together," he continued "Especially over the past few months, and a lot what happened was not very nice.

We've had our share of pain, sadness, anger, and worse than those, we caused trouble for ourselves and those around us."

Kari hung her head shamefully.

"And it was all because we thought we were doing the right things, for ourselves and for each other.

But now we've both learned much, from each other and our experiences. We've learned that what we believe in is most important.

She believed in me in many ways, just as I believed in her.

I really don't think I could've scored that winning goal alone, not without that extra boost of confidence she gave me out there.

And even more so, I don't think I'd even be here tonight if something even more magical happened after the game."

Kari wiped the tears from her eyes, but they crept back almost at once.

Davis stepped down from the podium and began to make his way towards her, stopping before her, ignoring the crowd of people gazing at him.

"May I have this dance?" he asked tenderly while holding out his hand to her.

She slowly took his hand and answered "…Now, Forever, and Always."

They both walked out onto the floor, and the DJ saw this as the signal, and he started the song Davis had requested, which he knew was one of Kari's favorites: **_"My heart will go on."_**

The couple made it to the center of the dance floor, and the partygoers had backed away to give them space for this special dance.

As the music started, Kari softly rested her head on his chest and he held her close as they slowly danced to the lovely song.

Jun and Tai watched proudly and happily as their respective siblings danced with one another.

Yolei reached under her glasses and wiped away a tear, and TK, all he did was stand there with a big, proud smile on his face, and he wasn't trying to be brave or put up an act.

As long as she was happy, that was all he cared about.

Kari looked up into Davis's deep brown eyes, and saw a single solitary tear fall. It's hot wetness landed on her cheek, in exactly the same place where he had placed that kiss, two months ago.

He raised one hand, and used it to wipe away the water from her face. She raised her own hand, and placed it over his, holding his hand against her cheek.

As the song began to come to an end,

"Davis…"

He looked down at her.

"…Yeah?"

"…I love you."

He smiled so lovingly down at her, and leaned forwards softly; kissing her like he had at the stadium.

"I love you so much, Kari." he said when they separated.

They kissed again as the song ended, and everyone applauded and cheered for the new couple, especially Tai, Jun, and TK.

* * *

Then, as the party continued that night, and everyone else was dancing on the floor.

Davis and Kari excused themselves, and headed outside for a breath of fresh air.

They just stood by the doorway of the school looking up into the night sky, which was beautiful and shimmering with stars, and bright with the moon.

Davis then looked at his new girlfriend.

"Kari?"

"Hmm…?"

They looked deeply into each other's eyes.

"I really meant what I said. I love you so much, it hurts. It burns me right here." He pointed over his heart, "But I don't want it to ever stop."

She smiled, "I feel the same, but I want to do my best Davis, for you, for me- for us.

I love you, Davis."

"I love you Kari."

They both moved in closer saying at the same time _"Now, Forever, and Always."_ and their lips met again as they continued to just embrace each other under the starry skies.

**_THE END_**

* * *

_**Author's notes:**_

_**Davis is lucky to have Kari.**_

_**In my world of fanfiction, if a guy like him loses his dream girl, the fic only goes one of two ways**_

_**1: They work it out and get back together**_

_**2: It's a disaster fic, usually meaning the guy will (against his wishes) turn into the main antagonist, or be forced to live a long, pointless, miserable life, and most likely be executed, while the girl will live as punishment for all the pain caused.**_

_**That's just the way it is with me.**_


End file.
